Ukraine's parliament voted in favor of buying two Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Feb. 11.
Bulgaria has provided Ukraine with old Soviet-era military equipment, with funds received from NATO and EU allies being reinvested into purchasing modern Western weapons.
Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Bulgaria’s pro-Russian Revival party, has fueled Kremlin narratives by claiming that Southern Bessarabia, part of Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast, should be returned to Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian parliament does not have enough votes to support the signing of Bulgaria's bilateral security treaty with Ukraine due to a shift in stance from the strongest party, Euractiv reported on Dec. 20.
The exact list of supplies, provided in accordance with a decision on military support in late 2022, remains classified.
Founded in 2014 and described by some as pro-Russian, Revival came in third in Bulgaria's snap parliamentary election in June, gaining 41 seats in the 240-seat parliament. Revival has supported maintaining Bulgaria's "deep ties" with Russia.
"When the import of a certain type of product or commodity — vegetables, meat, eggs — reaches certain limits that the European Commission has outlined in advance, then we can activate the mechanism of banning their import. We are currently doing this in terms of eggs," Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Georgi Takhov said.
Sofia said that this decision gives a "clear signal" of its commitment to supporting Ukraine, upholding Euro-Atlantic values, and strengthening allied solidarity in joint efforts to maintain international peace and security.
"Some ammunition of certain types, can be provided to Ukraine. This package will also be linked to an agreement with an ally country on compensation, similar to the previous package we sent," Bulgarian acting Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said.
In 2023, the Russian gas giant suspended Bulgargaz's long-term contract, which covered 90% of the quantities of natural gas delivered by Bulgargaz to customers.
Under the Turkish-led deal, the three countries will oversee efforts to clear mines that have been drifting in the Black Sea since the start of Russia's all-out war. Other NATO members are not involved in the initiative.
A 23-year-old man with Ukrainian identity documents was detained in Bulgaria and charged with espionage, Bulgarian media reported on June 19.
After months of delays, 100 Bulgarian armored personnel carriers are on their way to Ukraine by rail, Bulgaria's Defense Minister Todor Tagarev confirmed on March 14.
Bulgaria halted Russian oil imports this week as part of the European Union's ban on Russian oil, thereby ending a two-year embargo exemption, the Bulgarian news outlet BGNES reported on March 1.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev announced the delivery of 100 armored personnel carriers (APC) "in a few days," the Bulgarian channel BTV reported on Feb. 28.
Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 37, is the latest in a group of Bulgarian citizens suspected of espionage for Russia in the U.K.
It was Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov's first visit to Ukraine since he became the head of Bulgaria's government in June 2023.
A Bulgarian delegation led by Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov arrived in Kyiv on the morning of Feb. 26, the Bulgarian government announced.
Bulgaria's Interior Ministry in 2023 concluded an agreement with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to provide 100 older vehicles from its stocks. The Bulgarian parliament gave its final approval to the deal last December.
BRUSSELS – Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has again exposed Russia's far-reaching influence over Bulgaria. The Bulgarian energy sector is dominated by Russia. The defense minister was dismissed in March 2022 for echoing the Kremlin's war propaganda. The country has denied Ukraine's official requests for military aid in fear of pro-Russian
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