Ukraine again requested arms, Bulgaria declined

Ukraine has again requested armaments from Bulgaria, but such has been refused. This was announced on September 29 by the caretaker Defence Minister, Dimitar Stoyanov, at the Security Council in the Council of Ministers, answering a question by BNT. Ukraine's ambassador to the country, Vitaly Moskalenko, has made a request for heavy weapons, not small arms or ammunition, Stoyanov explained, but refused to specify what type of weapons.

He told Moskalenko that there was a decision of the Bulgarian Parliament that voted to provide military-technical assistance, but not weapons.

"As long as I am a minister, weapons will not be provided," Stoyanov said.

In his words, for the time being there is no direct threat to involve Bulgaria directly in the military conflict, but there are risks to national security. There is no change in the situation in the Black Sea region, the lines of communication are open, but the danger is from free-drifting mines.

Stoyanov also pointed out that citizens with Bulgarian and Russian passports could be mobilised in Russia and that if the figure of 300,000 mobilisation resources was met, there could hardly be a turnaround in the war unless 1-1.5 million were mobilised.

The Council will not discuss the proposals for an eighth package of sanctions sent by the European Commission to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry at 8 pm last night, as the Foreign Ministry had earlier announced.

Defence chief, Emil Eftimov, said the multinational battle group would be operational in mid-October. It includes a base from the 42nd Mechanised Battalion - Haskovo, American reinforcements, British and Italian participation.

The black box of the crashed Su-25 military aircraft has been found, is undamaged and will be deciphered in Bulgaria, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.

Its deciphering will start today. Stoyanov explained that there was no problem with the runway at the airbase and that the thesis of sabotage on the aircraft, which was repaired in Belarus, was absurd, as the plane had 63 flying hours after the upgrade.

Yesterday, the pilot Col. Donchev had completed two flights and the aircraft had flown three times during the day. Donchev is uninjured and in good condition.