Eight packages of military aid to Ukraine including weapons, equipment and ammunition have been sent by Bulgaria, strictly following the decisions of the Parliament, Acting Defense Minister Atanas Zaprianov told reporters in response to a question about photos of Bulgarian self-propelled howitzers “Gvozdika” in Ukraine, the which were published on social media.

The minister attended the ceremony for the start of the new academic year at the GS Rakovski Defense College. “I can confirm that there was such equipment,” Zaprianov replied when asked if Bulgaria had sent such weapons, explaining, however, that he could not confirm that the equipment in the photos was a Bulgarian howitzer, as all former Warsaw Pact countries continue to help Ukraine and to send such systems.

“All the packages that have been sent are eight, they include different weapons, equipment, ammunition with strict adherence to the decisions of the National Assembly,” Zaprianov emphasized. “These are packages with weapons, equipment, ammunition, which were surplus to the Bulgarian army,” added the minister.

The Minister of Defense stated that all the packages sent are subject to compensatory compensation and Bulgaria expects very large sums, which will be reinvested in the modernization of the army.

“There is an increase in enrollment in military schools as we try to fill 100% of student positions in higher military schools,” Zaprianov said, adding that officer departures have stopped.

When asked about the purchase of French Dassault Rafale fighter jets from Serbia, Zaprianov was unequivocal: “Bulgaria is a NATO member state, our defense is guaranteed by the allies. Next year we will receive the first eight F 16 Block aircraft 70 and then the other eight. It is the normal process followed by the countries to replace the old equipment with new. The priority of our policy is the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union. Serbia is like Bosnia-Herzegovina members of the NATO ‘Partnership for Peace’ initiative, and we are building good neighborly relations with them. We do not see the rearmament of our armed forces as a threat to our neighbors and we accept their rearmament as a transparent process of national decision that does not pose a threat to us”.