Bulgarian Defence Committee supports provision of MANPADS and missiles to Ukraine
At a meeting on Thursday, 7 December, the Defence Committee of the Bulgarian National Assembly has supported the provision of Ukraine with unusable, outdated or redundant portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) and anti-aircraft missiles of various types.
Source: European Pravda with reference to BTA
Details: 11 members of the parliamentary committee voted in favour of the decision, one abstained, and four members of the pro-Russian Revival and Bulgarian Socialist Party voted against it.
The proposal is part of a draft decision that the GERB-SDS coalition of We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms parties of the Bulgarian government presented on Thursday. The draft decision calls for giving Ukraine more military support.
The decision refers to Bulgaria's assessment of the excess amount of weapons and equipment necessary to staff wartime formations and the preparation of a proposal to provide these weapons and equipment to Ukraine.
Negotiations should also be held with the governments of NATO member states on the deployment of anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems by the Alliance to strengthen Bulgaria's defence capabilities.
In addition, it is proposed to consider the possibility of Bulgaria joining the coalition of countries to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and to allow military training for up to 160 Ukrainian military personnel per year on a rotational basis.
Background:
- Bulgaria has previously proposed to give Ukraine missiles for S-300 systems, which the country is unable to repair on its own but which Sofia says Kyiv can repair and use for defence.
- The authorities are also looking to unblock an agreement to transfer 100 armoured personnel carriers from the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, which was vetoed by President Rumen Radev.
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