Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Defense Minister mulls military training for some civil servants

Photo: Zdravka Maslyankova, BNR

Filling the reserve in the Bulgarian army is complicated, announced the caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. The military authorities are trying to fill it through temporary service in the voluntary reserve. Reservists will be attracted by higher pay and modernisation of weapons. 

The old Soviet-era weaponry puts young people off, an opinion poll shows, the minister was quoted as saying by the daily 24 Chasa. 

"If this does not help, we will think of other measures. We are not talking about bringing back compulsory conscription, but about preparing citizens to defend their homeland. It is related to certain categories of civil servants for whom the compulsory military training requirement may be introduced," the minister said. According to him, before becoming civil servants, military training will be given to those willing to work in the structures of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Defence minister Zapryanov (L) takes part in the 61st Munich Security Conference, which opened on Friday.

EU accepts Bulgaria's proposal on defence modernisation spending

A procedure will be introduced to exclude military expenditure from the inflation index, Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov announced in Munich, BTA reported. Speaking at the Security Conference, the minister said that Bulgaria had been..

published on 2/16/25 11:33 AM

President Radev calls for stronger EU security and urges North Macedonia to implement Consensus 2022

Addressing the crises facing the EU requires strengthening Europe's global competitiveness and ensuring security, President Rumen Radev said during a meeting with European Council President António Costa at the Munich Security Conference...

published on 2/16/25 10:39 AM
Support for protesting Serbian students in Pirot.

Bulgarians and Serbs from Tsaribrod and Pirot support student protests

Bulgarians and Serbs from the towns of Tsaribrod and Pirot marched in support of the student protests in Serbia , reports BTA. "We want the students' demands to be met and we hope that there will be changes in Serbia," demonstrators from the two towns in..

published on 2/16/25 10:27 AM