site.btaRSV 421 Crew Conducts Shooting Practice

The Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii naval research vessel (RSV 421) has conducted a shooting practice while passing through a high-risk zone en route to Antarctica, in support of the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic expedition, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy said on its website.

The crew placed the vessel in a state of heightened combat readiness due to the ship’s passage through waters known for a high risk of pirate attacks.

As part of security procedures, the naval personnel on board conducted training with the vessel’s authorized weapons. The exercise focused on practicing how to rebuff possible attacks by fast attack crafts - a tactic frequently used by pirate groups in the region. The ship’s command noted that these actions were part of pre-planned emergency measures to protect the crew, the vessel, and the cargo being transported to the Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island.

The Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii vessel is expected to exit the designated danger zone late on November 27, after which it will continue its journey to the Southern Ocean in normal operation mode.

The vessel departed for Antarctica from Varna on November 7 and is expected to reach its final destination at the end of December. The first group of the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic expedition left for Antarctica on November 6 on a flight from Sofia.