Bulgaria to supply Ukraine with S-300 missiles
27 September, 2023 S-300 air defense system of Bulgaria. Photo credits: Bulgarian Air Force The Bulgarian Parliament approved the transfer of S-300 missiles to Ukraine.
The vote was taken behind closed doors to supply Ukraine with missiles that the country is unable to repair on its own. According to Sofia, Kyiv will be able to repair it and use it for defense. The debate lasted more than three hours, beginning in an open session but then going behind closed doors to hear Defense Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov and Air Force second-in-command Brigadier General Petyo Mirchev.
The exact result of the closed vote is not known. It was also unclear why the voting was conducted in a closed session.
S-300 air defense system of Bulgaria. A frame from the video of the Air Force of Bulgaria
The day before, the Defense Committee of the Bulgarian National Assembly adopted a proposal at an extraordinary meeting that Bulgaria send to Ukraine defective 5V55R(K) anti-aircraft guided missiles and 5.45mm cartridges that are no longer needed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Experts and the Bulgarian Defense Ministry argue that the missiles cannot be repaired in Bulgaria, while Ukraine has such capabilities and will be able to repair them. With no official announcement of the voting result, reporters were left to hear from MRF MP Delyan Peevski that the decision had been approved, with pro-Kremlin party Vuzrazhdane opposed and the Bulgarian Socialist Party having left the House during the closed part of the session. During the open part of the debate, parliamentary defense committee head Hristo Gadzhev said that it was a question of unserviceable ammunition, which even the manufacturer could not repair as it was too old.
Gadzhev gave an assurance that the number of missiles that will be provided to Ukraine is minimal and will in no way endanger the combat readiness of the Bulgarian army.
Bulgarian S-300.
Photo from open sources
He called an additional advantage the fact that the risk to Bulgarian military personnel from storing such unfit ammunition would be eliminated.
As reported, the Bulgarian government has approved a draft agreement between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to provide armored vehicles free of charge.