April 10, 2023, 10:42 PM
April 10, 2023, 10:42 PM
The Government of Bulgaria confirmed on Monday the existence of negotiations to deliver 16 obsolete MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine in exchange for more modern Western military equipment. The Ministry of Defense spoke of “triangular agreements” to replace this weapon with other compatible ones from allied countries and denied that the delivery of the Soviet fighters will be free.
The confirmation of these conversations comes after one of the leaked alleged confidential US documents indicated that Bulgaria would have been willing to donate to Ukraine their MiG-29s. These fighters have stopped receiving technical assistance from Russia due to the sanctions of the European Union after the invasion of Ukraine and, therefore, their operational capacity is very limited. The Ministry of Defense itself calculates that the MiG-29 could only fly until the end of this year.
Bulgaria currently has 16 MiG-29 fighters, of of which only six are operational, and 14 Su-25 fighter-bombers, with only six of them able to take off. The delivery of the Soviet fighters would leave Bulgaria without fighter jets for at least 18 months, when the first F-16s purchased from the United States arrive.
A first batch of eight F-16 fighters were to arrive in 2023, but due to delays caused by the pandemic they are now expected to be in Bulgaria in 2025.
“The Ministry of Defense has held talks on the possibility of applying the so-called ‘triangular agreements’, to replace some of the available weapons with compatible ones from allied countries, without allowing the loss of capabilities,” said a statement from that ministry.
This position of Defense contrasts with the one that until now had defended the president of Bulgariathe pro-Russian Rumen Radev, who opposed any delivery of arms to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion.
“As long as the interim government is in charge, Bulgaria will not provide MiG-29 fighters, anti-aircraft missile systems, tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine,” Radev said recently. The interim government appointed by Radev will remain in power until an Executive is achieved with a majority in Parliament, something that seems difficult to achieve after the elections on April 2, the fifth in less than two years.
