site.btaBalkan Wall 25 and Balkan Sentinel 25 Multinational Exercises Begin at Koren Training Ground

An official ceremony at the Koren Training Ground near Haskovo (Southeastern Bulgaria) Wednesday marked the beginning of the Balkan Wall 25 and Balkan Sentinel 25 multinational exercises, conducted by the Bulgarian Land Forces within the broader framework of Exercise Immediate Response 25. Military personnel from Bulgaria, Italy, Romania and the US are taking part, the Defence Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

"The next two weeks will be challenging, but I am confident that we will all learn and grow together. Remember that teamwork, communication, and discipline are the keys to success. Train as one team, and develop a shared understanding of how large-scale combat operations are planned and executed," said the Land Forces Deputy Commander, Brigadier General Plamen Yordanov. He stressed that the exercises will focus on enhancing the capabilities and interoperability of the participating nations' formations in the planning and execution of allied operations.

The Balkan Wall 25 command post exercise is taking place from May 27 to June 7 at the Koren and Novo Selo training grounds under the direction of the Land Forces Command with the participation of the headquarters of the Karlovo-based 61st Stryama Mechanized Brigade, the headquarters of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup in Bulgaria with Italy as the framework nation, and instructors and cadets from the G.S. Rakovski National Military Academy.

From May 27 to June 9, 2025, the 61st Stryama Mechanized Brigade will conduct the Balkan Sentinel 25 multinational tactical live-fire exercise at the Koren Training Ground with the participation of Bulgarian Land Forces and Bulgarian Air Force units, a maneuver company from the US Army, elements from the NATO Multinational Battlegroup with Italy as the framework nation, and a mechanized platoon of the Romanian Land Forces.