site.btaUPDATED First Two US Aircraft Arrive at Bezmer Base under Middle East Support Deployment
Two US military aircraft have landed at Bezmer Air Base in Southeastern Bulgaria, the Defence Ministry told BTA on Friday.
On July 22, the National Assembly approved the deployment in Bulgaria of up to eight Boeing KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers, together with their crews, up to 250 US service personnel carrying personal weapons and ammunition, and airfield equipment from the US Armed Forces. The deployment at Bezmer Air Base is intended to provide support for US operations in the Middle East and is authorized for the period from July 24 to October 1, 2026.
Residents of the village of Bezmer and nearby settlements, including the regional capital Yambol, have protested in recent days against the deployment of the US aircraft. On July 24, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and Youth and Sports Minister Encho Keryazov met mayors from municipalities and settlements across Yambol Region to discuss the issue.
On July 30, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova held a telephone conversation with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Regarding the deployment of the US aerial refuelling aircraft in Bulgaria, Minister Petrova stressed that it is out of the question for any direct military actions linked to the conflict in the Middle East to be carried out from Bulgarian territory.
/VL/
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