Army Disposal Teams Neutralize Hazardous Munitions at Four Sites in One Week

Konstantin Karagyozov, BTA correspondent Lilyana Rashkova

The Danube River near the town of Oryahovo (BTA Photo/Lilyana Rashkova)

Vratsa, Northwestern Bulgaria,

05.08.2026 12:55

(BTA)

Military personnel from Vratsa neutralized hazardous unexploded ordnance at four separate locations in end-July and early August, three of which became visible due to the low water level of the Danube River, Lieutenant Colonel Simeon Gadzhev, commander of Military Formation 54 990, told BTA.

According to Gadzhev, servicemen from the 10th Mechanized Battalion responded to a series of reports between July 28 and August 4 in the Vidin and Montana regions.

"The first operation was led by Staff Sergeant Tsvetomir Voynov in Vidin's city park, where ammunition was discovered during construction and excavation works," Gadzhev said. "A few days later, on the banks of the Danube below the Baba Vida Fortress, the team recovered and safely destroyed two heavily corroded artillery shells and one 122 mm projectile," he added. The operation was led by Staff Sergeant Lyubomir Tsvetkov. "The following day, near the village of Kovatchitsa, again on the riverbank, a heavily corroded aerial bomb approximately two metres long, fitted with a fuze, was discovered. Given the high level of risk, the munition was destroyed on site after the area had been secured," Gadzhev said.

The latest operation took place on Tuesday, August 4, on Golyam Bliznak Island opposite the village of Simeonovo. "Under the command of Staff Sergeant Tsvetomir Voynov, the specialized team located, recovered and destroyed a heavily corroded 155 mm artillery shell with a fuze, eliminating yet another potential threat to people and the environment," Lieutenant Colonel Gadzhev said.

The unusually low water level of the Danube River in recent days has caused numerous difficulties and led to restrictions in several Bulgarian towns.

/TM/