Send to Kindle
@Ministry of Defense
Sea trials have begun for Bulgaria’s first multipurpose modular patrol vessel for the Navy, marking another step in the modernization of the country’s maritime defense capabilities. The tests are being conducted in the Varna Bay area and selected zones of the Black Sea, the Ministry of Defense announced on November 11.
The vessel is the first of two modular patrol ships being built under a contract between Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense and the German shipbuilding company Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL). The trials will assess the vessel’s performance and systems before it is officially commissioned into the Bulgarian Navy.
The project began on December 3, 2021, with an official ceremony marking the start of construction and the cutting of the first steel components. The keel of the first ship, named Brave, was laid on June 17, 2022, at the MTG Dolphin shipyard in Varna.
On August 4, 2023, "Hrabri" (Brave) was undocked and launched, moving from construction to fitting-out and testing. Since then, the vessel has undergone successive stages of equipping with modern weapons and navigation systems. The ongoing sea trials will be followed by final evaluations before the ship’s acceptance into active naval service.
Scope Ratings has completed its latest review of Bulgaria and confirmed the country’s long-term credit rating at A- with a stable outlook, alongside short-term ratings of S-1/Stable
Preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) show that Bulgaria employed 3,726,500 people in the third quarter of 2025
In Bulgaria, the common perception that investing is reserved for the wealthy remains widespread, but recent analysis by Freedom24 shows that households can begin investing with modest amounts of 50–100 BGN (approximately €25–50) per month
From December 1, pensions in Serbia rose by 12.2%, bringing the average pension for retirees to 485 euros
The three leading telecommunications operators in Bulgaria inject more than 640 million BGN (≈327 million EUR) annually into the development of networks and services
A series of non-working days is approaching around Christmas and New Year
Bulgaria spent around 2 billion euros on defense in 2024
The Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey: Georg Georgiev, Oana Coișu, and Hakan Fidan - convened a trilateral meeting focused on Black Sea security and support for Ukraine
Bulgaria has formally submitted a request to the European Commission for EUR 3.2 billion in funding under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism
Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus are planning to strengthen their defense capabilities with the addition of drones, as part of a joint initiative under a European security program
Former Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev has warned that if Ukraine were to collapse, Bulgaria could be next in line
Military Minister Atanas Zapryanov highlighted that the relocation will save the state approximately 300 million leva
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence
