Bulgarian Navy Commander Mihaylov: Fourth RSV 421 Voyage Builds Tradition

BTA correspondent Mila Edreva, BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva, Kaloyan Kirilov

In the photo, left to right: Flotilla Admiral Kalin Kalinov, Head of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, Captain 2nd Rank Radko Muevski, Commander of the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), and Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, Commander of the Bulgarian Navy, at Varna Marine Station, Varna, April 9, 2026 (BTA Photo/Krasimir Krastev)

Varna, on the Black Sea,

09.04.2026 16:36

(BTA)

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Antarctica

After the fourth voyage of the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), Bulgaria can now proudly say it has built traditions, Bulgarian Navy Commander Kiril Mihaylov said on Thursday.

He greeted the crew on the vessel’s return from Antarctica and congratulated them on successfully completing all assigned tasks.

Mihaylov said that when Bulgaria first sent a ship to the distant southern latitudes, it had been a challenge for everyone. After the first success came the second voyage, when they had to prove that nothing had been accidental. Now, after the fourth, they could proudly say they had traditions, Mihaylov added.

Mihaylov said the sailors’ profession is forged at sea, not in the classroom. The fact that naval personnel once again carried out a mission to Antarctica under the Bulgarian Navy flag showed that the Navy was firmly up to the task and capable of operating in any conditions, he added. Mihaylov said he was proud of the crew of the research vessel and of its achievements, and of the fact that RSV 421 was an excellent ambassador for Bulgaria in that part of the world, where the national flag is rarely seen.

Mihaylov also said he knew of no other naval school apart from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna that sent its cadets on a polar expedition. That, he added, spoke clearly both to Bulgaria’s naval tradition and to the academy.

The first Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) was welcomed at Varna Marine Station on Thursday, April 9, 2026, on its return from its fourth Antarctic expedition. Among those attending the ceremony were Christo Pimpirev, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, officials, relatives and friends.

/NZ/