Putin Declares Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine War
The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an “Easter ceasefire” in the war in Ukraine, declaring a temporary halt in hostilities lasting around 36 hours
Kristian Krastev: Bulgaria Could Benefit from Russian Airspace Ban
- Tweet
Send to Kindle
A file photo dated 03 July 2009 showing an Airbus A319 of Russian carrier Aeroflot on the apron of airport Dresden, Germany. Reports on 07 August 2014 state Aeroflot`s shares have taken a blow following reports of a prospective Russian ban on EU airliners
Bulgaria would gain immediate profit from a potential decision of Moscow to keep Western carriers away from its airspace, a former Transport Minister has argued.
Kristian Krastev, who had the portfolio in the 2013 caretaker government, has told public broadcaster BNR that if EU operators are prevented from flying over Russia, part of the air traffic would be diverted to the Balkan Peninsula and, inevitably, to Bulgaria.
EU companies have to pay some USD 30 M monthly to use current eastward routes, and Russian operator Aeroflot's revenues from Europe alone amount to USD 300 M every year, Krastev estimates.
Prices of flight tickets will also soar if alternative routes are to be sought, though.
Flying over Russia makes it 4000 km shorter and 3.5 hours faster to reach a number of destinations in Asia, with additional fuel costs to push up passengers' expenses.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned Monday Moscow could introduce a ban on flights if the EU decided to go ahead with a new round of sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine.
Related Articles:
EU Panic Deepens Over Hungary-Russia Ties and Possible Secret Leaks
A group of Members of the European Parliament has raised concerns over the potential leakage of confidential EU information to Russia, urging stronger safeguards within the European Parliament
European Prosecutors Raid Bulgaria and Romania in €10M EU Funds Fraud Probe
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has carried out a series of coordinated investigative actions across several countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, as part of a probe into suspected large-scale fraud involving EU funds
Free Trade Area of 700 Million? Bulgaria's Interim Government Approves Landmark EU-Mercosur Agreement
The caretaker government has approved a decision endorsing the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States and the Mercosur bloc
“They Hate This Guy”: Vance Goes All-In for Orban in Dramatic Pre-Election Push
US Vice President JD Vance launched a sharp attack on the European Union during a visit to Budapest, accusing Brussels of interfering in Hungary’s election just days before a closely contested vote that could reshape the country’s political landscape
“Putin’s Mouse” Call Leak: Orban Promised to Help Russia
A leaked transcript of a phone call between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin shows Orban offering extensive support to Moscow and describing himself as ready to help “in any way” in relation to the war in Ukraine
Bulgaria's Acting PM Signed the Right Agreement at the Wrong Time for All the Wrong Reasons
Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov flew to Kyiv, signed a 10-year defense cooperation agreement with Volodymyr Zelensky, and flew back
Baba Vanga: Bulgaria's Blind Mystic Who Became a Global Myth
Ask any older Bulgarian about Baba Vanga and brace yourself. You will not get a Wikipedia summary. You will get a story. Their story, or their mother's, or their neighbor's cousin
Why the US and Israel Struck Iran
Before dawn on February 28, 2026, explosions tore through Tehran. Air raid sirens followed seconds later, but by then the first wave of strikes had already hit.
Promised Stability, Delivered Chaos: The 399-Day "Zhelyazkov" Cabinet That Governed in Someone Else's Shadow
It was supposed to last four years. It lasted just 399 days - 70 of them spent in caretaker status after the prime minister's own resignation.
Will Radev and the Liberals Join Forces? What the Caretaker PM Choice Really Means for Bulgaria
The appointment of Andrey Gyurov as Bulgaria's caretaker prime minister shows what's really happening in Bulgarian politics right now. Behind the constitutional formalities, a coalition against corruption is taking shape before April's elections.
India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific
On 20 October 2025, on the occasion of Deepavali, the great Indian festival of lights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from aboard India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, drew attention to the centrality of the Indian Ocean i
