Acting Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov Calls for a Regular Government in Bulgaria

We see two political forces opposing each other. However, the country needs a government. Valuable time is wasted in unnecessary arguments. It is time for Bulgaria to have a regular government so that the country has its perspective. Bulgaria does not need staging, but real actions, it should not be dragged on any longer. This was stated by the Acting Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov in the program “Face to Face” on bTV.

The president will not wait long before handing out the first mandate. It could happen next week, he emphasized.

“I cannot complain about the funds allocated for defense. The pledged funds are 1.85 of GDP. There are enough funds for capital expenditure and for modernization, I hope they will not be cut. My wish is that they don’t touch each other. Thus, there will be a real possibility to conclude at least three contracts to improve the combat capability of the Bulgarian Army. We plan to modernize the infantry. It’s time to start the projects for the Ground Forces,” explained the Minister of Defense.

Minister Stoyanov was categorical that the Ministry of Defense and the Cabinet have never proposed to hand over our MiG fighters to any country. “Nowhere is it written that others will be guarding our airspace. Better with rusty Russian armor than no armor,” he emphasized. The Minister of Defense reported that the acquisition of new aviation equipment takes a long time (up to 8 years). We are doing everything we can for the serviceability of our fighter jets that we currently have,” he assured.

When asked whether our airspace has been violated, Dimitar Stoyanov stated that it has not been registered since August 2. “Air policing cannot be performed with anti-aircraft missile systems, because there must be visual contact with the target,” he clarified.

“Military aid to Ukraine has already been provided. At the moment I don’t see what else can be provided. We must have equipment in reserve, and we also need spare parts for our Russian equipment. It is cynicism to talk about triangular deals. It was a mistake to leave our country with Russian equipment and not to modernize it with Western ones. The triangular deal cost the Slovaks more than 700 million BGN. It is speculated that the cabinet did not implement the decision of the National Assembly regarding the military aid to Ukraine. We have prepared a report and have already submitted it,” explained the Minister of Defense.

“There will be no replacement platforms. If we provide another technique, it will mean that we will lose abilities. We have provided what is needed, as well as equipment with an expiration date of up to 3 years,” he specified.

“This war will last a long time. A victory for Ukraine will mean the restoration of territorial integrity, but will Russia be satisfied? No one can say when this war will end. It’s clear that it won’t be soon. There are real dangers of this conflict escalating into a full-scale world war. There are risks for our country, but there is no direct threat,” said the Minister of Defense.

Asked what he will pass on to his successor, Minister Stoyanov stated: “Continuity. I hope that the modernization of the Bulgarian Army will continue, and that the social benefits of military personnel will not be cut.”

When asked if he would accept to be a minister in a regular cabinet as well, he stated: “I would not bind myself to a party appointment.”