"I am harmful to Russian interests in Bulgaria and Russian interests aimed at keeping Bulgaria's defense underfunded, with old weapons, dependent in every possible way on the Russian Federation. This will not happen", Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev said for the BNR. In his words, for the first time in 35 years, the ground troops will receive basic combat equipment which is made possible thanks to the defense budget. According to Minister Tagarev, the problem with the understaffing of the Bulgarian army has exacerbated because of the harmful effects of the disinformation campaign that Bulgarian soldiers will be sent to fight in Ukraine. Todor Tagarev clarified that the problem is permanent and very serious.

Incentive and compulsory measures for military training of citizens are currently being discussed within the framework of the ongoing Strategic Defense Review, BNR’s reporter Dobromir Videv said.