Injury Ends Bulgarian Star Grigor Dimitrov's Australian Open Run
Bulgaria's top tennis player, Grigor Dimitrov, has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to an injury
"Businesses are running, people are safe. We have taken absolutely all measures, on the part of the state, the local authorities, the management of the specific enterprises, so that we can be sure that people are safe and the Bulgarian industry will not be affected by such types of raids". This is what the Minister of Economy, Bogdan Bogdanov, said today. He made this statement together with representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, the State Agency for National Security (DANS) and other institutions, went to inspect enterprises from the Bulgarian military-industrial complex.
The reason is the explosion in an ammunition warehouse near Karnobat, and the inspections were ordered by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov yesterday. The owner of the site, Emilian Gebrev, has already announced that it is probably a case of deliberate actions and the use of the word "raids" by the minister also points to a similar version.
The Director of the National Police Chief Commissioner Atanas Ilikov specified that an inspection of the accident site will begin today. "We will have the opportunity to bring out facts and circumstances that are related to the perpetrator of the crime, if we are talking about external intervention," he added. Ilikov explained that at this stage we cannot exclude versions, because the inspection has not yet started. He specified that after the inspection of the accident scene is done and the facts and circumstances are compared with last year's incident, then conclusions can be drawn.
Bogdanov emphasized that since yesterday there are already additional security measures in the facilities for the production and storage of weapons and ammunition.
Some of them are related to the expansion of the guarded perimeter, which already covers the area outside the fences of enterprises and warehouses. The State Agency "National Security" also analyzed whether more measures are needed. According to Bogdan Bogdanov, better synchronization between the state and business is needed, as well as updated security measures.
He assured the journalists that work is being carried out at maximum security levels in these places, and there is no risk to the production and the people involved in it. The minister stressed that the checks and assistance will be for all locations, regardless of whether they are state or private.
"This is a key industry for Bulgaria and it is important that the state supports them with all its capacity," noted the Minister of Economy.
By the end of April, Bulgaria is set to receive the first two of its eight F-16 fighter jets, with the first delivery scheduled for January 31 in Greenville. Acting Minister of Defense Atanas
Bulgaria is set to participate in NATO's largest exercise of 2025, "Steadfast Dart 2025" (STDT25), which will be held across Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania in the first quarter of the year
Former Bulgarian Defense Minister Prof. Todor Tagarev described the idea of NATO countries allocating 5% of GDP to defense as unrealistic, labeling it a significant financial burden
The Ministry of Defense has announced that Bulgaria's military districts are in the process of updating their reserve lists
Acting Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov has expressed optimism about the prospects for Bulgaria’s armed forces in 2025
Following Bulgaria and Romania's accession to Schengen, the responsibilities of control institutions have expanded significantly, requiring more precise and comprehensive checks
Bulgaria's Perperikon: A European Counterpart to Peru's Machu Picchu
Bulgarians Among EU's Least Frequent Vacationers, Struggling with Affordability