site.btaPM: Measures Have Been Taken to Protect Bulgarian Airspace, Especially in Northeast

Measures have been taken to protect Bulgarian airspace, especially in the northeastern part of the country, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in response to a journalist's question at the opening of the last section of the Europe Motorway on Sunday. He added that this is part of the reinforcement of NATO's southeastern flank. 

"We are closely monitoring the situation, and there is a protocol that must be followed. We must also ensure the safety of civil aviation," the Prime Minister explained. "I also believe that the Russian Federation will proceed with great caution and avoid the possibility of incidents in the Black Sea, where air traffic is extremely intense," he said.

"We are monitoring the situation very closely as part of our commitments as the southeastern flank of the Alliance with a view to ensuring the security of our country, Bulgarian citizens, and aviation," Zhelyazkov stressed. He assured that Bulgaria is ready to respond if a situation arises. 

"I still think that these provocations are tests to gauge the Alliance's readiness, they are not offensive in nature, but regardless, every provocation must be responded to appropriately," the Prime Minister added.

A drone violated Romanian airspace Saturday during a Russian attack on Ukraine, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. Earlier in the day, Poland announced that it had launched fighter jets for a "preventive" operation due to the threat of drone strikes in nearby Ukrainian areas.