Bulgarian MPs call for the transfer of the S-300 SAM elements to Ukraine

26 September, 2023 Bulgarian S-300. Photo credits: Bulgarian Air Force Bulgarian MPs submitted a draft decision on the transfer of faulty elements of the S-300 SAMs to Ukraine.

The plan is that Ukraine will be able to restore and use them in air defense. Sofia Globe reported about this. The draft decision, introduced on September 26 and signed by Boiko Borissov, Delyan Peevski, Hristo Ivanov, and Kiril Petkov, also suggests that Bulgaria will transfer excess 5.56 caliber cartridges from the depots of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to Ukraine.

The supporters of the draft decision shared that the S-300 missile systems were deemed unserviceable by the military. It is also noted that there is no way to repair missiles of S-300 systems in Bulgaria, unlike Ukraine.

Bulgarian S-300. Photo from open sources

"Our country does not have the necessary capacity to independently repair those munitions.

Their use by our army would create a serious risk to the lives of Bulgarian servicemen. Unlike Bulgaria, Ukraine has declared that it has the capacity to put such defective munitions into service and have them serve the Ukrainian military," the explanatory memorandum added to the draft decision outlines. The MPs stated that the transfer will not reduce Bulgaria's defense capability and will not reduce the ability of Bulgarian S-300 to defend the Bulgarian skies.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria held a tender for companies that would be able to maintain Bulgarian S-300. Only one candidate, the Russian Almaz-Antey state concern, was allowed to participate.

Bulgarian S-300. Photo credits: Alexander Mladenov, Key.Aero

However, it turned out that it does not have the ability to keep the systems operational.

The parliament's defence committee must consider the decision before it is voted on in full. If approved, the Ministry of Defense will decide on the number of missiles and system elements to be transferred to Ukraine. Militarnyi reported in August that Bulgaria was ready to transfer about 100 Soviet-type armored vehicles to Ukraine.

The transfer can start in late September or early October.