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

Bulgaria will not send a warship to Red Sea, says defence minister

Photo: BTA

The war in Ukraine poses a risk to shipping, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev said in Blagoevgrad, quoted by the BGNES news agency. That is why Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are joining forces to clear mines floating in the Black Sea - to ensure the safety of navigation in our waters. 

Minister Tagarev rejected suggestions that Bulgaria would send a warship to the Red Sea, to rescue the kidnapped Bulgarian sailors. Our task is to free them, but we cannot engage in a military mission without a decision by Parliament. "It is not at all about sending troops somewhere in Yemen, we are involved with staff officers," the minister added. Tagarev said that the first hijacked ship had a Bulgarian captain and first mate. They are still on board and have not been released, he said. 

The defence minister is in Blagoevgrad to congratulate soldiers who took part in the KFOR mission in Kosovo and the EU force in Bosnia and Herzegovina "Altea".

Reuters quoted last week U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as saying that several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to try to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.



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

Rumen Radev

President Radev: Europe should support the US’ efforts for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine

To insist on seeking a military settlement to the conflict in Ukraine is a losing venture. Europe should support the efforts of the US to find a better solution, said President Rumen Radev at the Chief of Defence Annual Conference in Sofia. At..

published on 2/25/25 2:34 PM
PM Rosen Zhelyazkov

PM Zhelyazkov reiterates no Bulgarian troops will be sent to Ukraine

“There is no change, Bulgarian troops are not going to be sent to Ukraine,” said PM Rosen Zhelyazkov in a comment about the meeting between US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. “The institutions in..

published on 2/25/25 1:17 PM
Ministry of Defence building

Bulgaria to take part in common procurement of IRIS-T air defence systems and CAESAR howitzers

Bulgaria is to take part in common procurement procedures in the sphere of defence at an EU level, under projects for the acquisition of IRIS-T air defence systems and CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. The Ministry of Defence applied for and..

published on 2/25/25 1:04 PM