Russia has withdrawn its ships from the Bulgarian economic zone in the Black Sea

There is no presence of Russian warships at the moment in the Bulgarian economic zone in the Black Sea, Bulgaria’s Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov said on September 20.

The Russian forces have withdrawn after preventive actions by the Bulgarian Navy and NATO. Currently, the risk to this country due to the war in Ukraine has not been increased.

The declared dangerous area covered three quarters of Bulgaria’s economic zone.

"We have stepped up surveillance in these maritime spaces. Measures were then taken in a collective format, i.e. the issue was raised at NATO level to get support in terms of situational awareness. Since then, we have not observed any Russian ships approaching this area," explained Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov.

The Ministry of Defence has not made a final decision on where the new infrastructure for the multinational battle group troops will be built. According to military experts, of all the areas surveyed, the one near Kabile is the most suitable because of its proximity to the training ground, airport, railway station and the sea. According to preliminary estimates, the new military facility will accommodate between 1 000 and 1 500 people, with the possibility of a larger capacity.

"The first purpose of these forces which are in the eight countries on the eastern flank of NATO is to deter possible aggressor so that it dare not launch aggression. If it does decide to take aggressive action, we should all defend ourselves together, guarantee our security and preserve our territorial integrity and sovereignty," Defence Minister, Todor Tagarev, said.

He said people have nothing to worry about because of the new military facility. The construction of such infrastructure could have a positive impact on the socio-economic development of the region. The final decision will also be presented to the National Assembly.

The minister and the defence chief were in Sliven for the opening of the renovated building of the infectious diseases ward of the military hospital in the city and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the medical institution.

Bulgaria is considering on how to respond to Russian actions in the Black Sea