Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Civilians in Bulgaria can undergo military training

Photo: BGNES

The Strategic Defence Review will recommend a study on the possibility for civilians to receive military training, interim Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said. 

The latest defence report recommends urgent legislative measures to create conditions for peacetime training of the military reserve. In the period 2010-2020, it decreased by 43% and the trend continues by 5-7% every year. If this rate continues, in 15 years' time Bulgaria's military reserve will be completely exhausted. 
Another problem highlighted in the report is progressive ageing. In 2020, reservists under the age of 35 accounted for only 5% of the total number of reservists, those under 45 years of age accounted for 46% and those over 45 - 49%. 

"We are not in a hurry to propose compulsory training of citizens to defend the Fatherland, as we need an analysis. This will come into the strategic review as a guideline to be further explored," the military minister summed up. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Vice President Iliana Iotova presents the collection "Alphabet. Language. Identity"

Today at 11:00, in the Coat of Arms Hall of the Presidency, Vice President Iliana Iotova will officially present the collection "Alphabet. Language. Identity". The publication contains the reports from the second International Forum on the Cyrillic..

published on 10/29/25 5:50 AM

Cold morning, sunshine expected during the day

Wednesday's minimum temperatures will be 1–6°C , with Sofia at 1°C. Some lowland areas may have reduced visibility in the morning. It will be mostly sunny during the day, with a light to moderate south-westerly wind. Maximum temperatures will reach..

published on 10/28/25 7:05 PM

Switzerland supports Bulgaria's migration policies with over 21 million Swiss Francs

Switzerland is providing financial assistance worth 21,350,000 Swiss Francs to support Bulgaria's migration policies. "As EU's external border we have the responsibility to prevent the entry of persons who may pose a security threat, and on the other..

published on 10/28/25 6:50 PM