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

Bulgaria seeks South Korean cooperation on new nuclear projects, energy minister says

Bulgaria wants to continue investing in nuclear energy after more than 50 years of experience in the sector, Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said on Wednesday. About 70% of Bulgarians support the move, Stankov told a Bulgarian-Korean energy..

published on 10/30/25 2:04 PM

Swiss Gunvor Group may acquire Lukoil's Burgas-based refinery in package deal with the Russian company

The Russian oil company Lukoil has announced that it has accepted an offer from the Swiss Gunvor Group to acquire the international assets of LUKOIL International GmbH . Lukoil's subsidiary owns all of the group's assets abroad. Lukoil has..

published on 10/30/25 11:40 AM

GERB leader supports resignation of anti-mafia commission chief

MPs elected GERB's Kostadin Angelov as deputy speaker of parliament. 132 MPs voted "for", 53 voted "against" and 11 abstained. Angelov replaces GERB's Raya Nazaryan, who was elected speaker of parliament after previous parliamentary speaker Natalia..

published on 10/30/25 10:30 AM