Bulgaria must use all possible levers, especially diplomacy, to try to resolve the conflict in our territorial waters and our economic zone. That is why I had talks with the Ministers of Defense in Romania and Turkey and a trilateral meeting is expected soon to specify our common actions. This was said by Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov on the air of the Bulgarian National Television, quoted by BTA.
If the European Council has up-to-date information proving the claim that the drones that hit ships in the Black Sea are Russian - let them provide it to us. I trust what the Bulgarian investigation with the "Chelsea-3" ship will establish, so I expect the results from there to come out, the minister said.
Stoyanov commented on the case with the drone at the Leipzig airport and said that it took the German government 27-28 days to prove that the drone was Russian. They need technological time to examine the drone so that it can be proven that it is Russian, and in our country, especially our opposition leaders, wanted to announce that the drone was Russian even before the event happened, Stoyanov said. If it turns out that the drone is Russian, an official note will probably be handed to the Russian ambassador, he said.
We have our own planes that are on duty right now. If there is a violation of our airspace, as happened yesterday in Romania, our planes will be activated, but reliable information must be received that there is such a violation, the minister noted.
You will soon see that there will be a presence of partner aviation from a NATO member state on our territory, we expect other means, Stoyanov said. I am sure that Bulgaria also needs fighter jets, anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-drone systems and systems for combating drones with kinetic impact, so we are working in this direction, he added.
Changes are planned in the Law on the Reserve of the Armed Forces, and in December there will be a round table to hear what Bulgarian society thinks, the minister announced. There is a certain order in our country - there will be no mobilization, there will be no participation of our troops outside the territory of Bulgaria. My expectation is that conscription will not return in the next 5-10 years, said Stoyanov, adding that for those who wish, there is service in the Voluntary Reserve, as well as courses that provide advantages when joining the Bulgarian Army.
When asked if there is an estimate of how much the return of conscription in Bulgaria would cost, Dimitar Stoyanov replied "there is certainly such an estimate and I can tell you that we cannot afford it". Asked whether the military will receive a 5% salary increase from January 1 next year, the minister called for waiting for the final version of the budget. He pointed out that the ministry has set a target of 2.33% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to go to defense. I would be happy with a 5% increase in salaries, said Dimitar Stoyanov.
We protect the Black Sea coast with what the political elite has left us, after all, no one expects that Bulgaria will rearm its Bulgarian army in five months, commented Stoyanov. In 2023, when the caretaker cabinet left, we left a ready-made project for the purchase of 3D radars. The contract could have been concluded by the end of the year and the first radar would have arrived now, but what happened - nothing, I signed the contract and the first radar will arrive in 2028, Stoyanov emphasized.
According to him, by the end of October, Bulgaria's letter to NATO headquarters is expected to be received, declaring participation in the NATO drone protection program.
There are real consultations, but they are not in the form of art. 4 of NATO, the minister said regarding the attacks in the Black Sea and the opposition's request for it to be activated. According to Art. 4, the parties to the Treaty will consult together whenever, in the opinion of one of them, there is a threat to the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of them.
Regarding the arson of antennas for communication with the "Starlink" satellite system; Stoyanov stated that these are private objects that meet certain requirements. All actions have been taken and I expect you to hear the result on Tuesday or Wednesday, he said.