site.btaBulgaria Not Asked to Provide Territory for Hypothetical Future US Operation, Defence Minister Zapryanov Clarifies

Caretaker Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov stated on Monday that Bulgaria has not been asked to provide territory or any military participation in a hypothetical future operation of the US armed forces against Iran. He made this statement at a briefing in the Council of Ministers in connection with the deployment of US air assets at Vasil Levski Airport on Thursday. Zapryanov said that he was commenting on the topic to dispel speculation about the deployment of the aircraft at the airport. 

Zapryanov explained that a joint exercise of the US Air Force and the Bulgarian Air Force is being held at the Vrazhdebna Air Base regarding the forward deployment of a logistical element, namely aircraft for aerial refueling of aircraft. He stressed that this exercise is in no way related to the situation and the US negotiations with Iran.

According to Zapryanov, the exercise at the Vrazhdebna base is planned in line with the European Command which envisages no more than 15 aircraft and up to 500 personnel. He said that parking spaces at the Sofia airport were used to park the aircraft, as there is not enough space at Vrazhdebna. The Minister also said that the exercise does not affect the international activity of the airport for civil flights and does not require the closure of the airport.