site.btaFrench Military Personnel, Equipment to Transit Bulgaria for NATO Exercise in Romania

Personnel and military equipment of the French Armed Forces will transit Bulgaria’s national road network from September 25 to October 2, 2025, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence reported on Wednesday. The planned route of the military convoys is Kapitan Petko Voyvoda border checkpoint to Ruse border checkpoint. The convoys will be escorted by teams of the Military Police Service.

The French troops and equipment will take part in the NATO exercise Dacian Fall 2025, to be held at military training ranges in Romania between October 20 and November 13, 2025. The exercise will involve more than 5,000 service members from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain. It is planned by the Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast (HQ MND-SE), based in Romania. The NATO Multinational Battlegroup in Bulgaria, with Italy as the framework nation, will conduct linked training at the Novo Selo range, integrated into Dacian Fall 2025.

The transit of French forces and equipment across Bulgarian territory is carried out in accordance with Article 13, paragraph 1, item 1 of the Act on Passage through and Presence within the Territory of the Republic of Bulgaria of Allied and of Foreign Armed Forces, and pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Bulgarian Defence Ministry and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation on host nation support for NATO operations and exercises, ratified by the 39th National Assembly in October 2004.

In connection with the rotation of the Italian contingent within the NATO Multinational Battlegroup in Bulgaria, on September 24, combat equipment and gear will be transported from the Kapitan Petko Voyvoda border checkpoint to the Novo Selo range. The convoys will be escorted by the Military Police Service, the Ministry said.