The environmental organization Green Balkans has registered an intriguing Bulgarian presence in the conflict zones of Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa, where military clashes continue. However, this presence is not related to journalists, politicians, or any official figures but to a young golden eagle hatched in Bulgaria in 2023. The bird, named Samuil, was tagged with a satellite transmitter, allowing Green Balkans to track its movements during its wandering phase.

Throughout several weeks during the summer, the young eagle traversed the territories of Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, occasionally venturing into areas of active military operations (as shown in Map 1). Samuil was equipped with the satellite device as part of the BESTbelt project, which is funded by the European Union. The project focuses on preserving biodiversity in areas on both sides of the former "Iron Curtain," which once divided Europe into opposing camps. Today, these areas are united under the European Green Belt initiative.

This modern-day movement of the eagle contrasts sharply with the fact that it has flown over another significant dividing line on the continent. Despite being hundreds of kilometers away from the intense military clashes, the Green Balkans team faced indirect challenges due to the widespread use of military technology in the region. The satellite data was occasionally compromised, with the bird's recorded position showing deviations of several hundred kilometers, an issue not observed with transmitters used on birds in less militarized areas (refer to Map 2).

These issues are likely caused by the jamming of communication channels in war-affected regions. Nonetheless, Samuil, the golden eagle, has safely returned to Bulgaria and is now spending its youth in the Upper Thracian Lowland, as well as the Sakar and Eastern Rhodopes. These two southern border mountains are among the most representative areas of the Bulgarian part of the Green Belt, known for their preserved nature and biodiversity, a legacy of limited access during the Cold War and the era of the "Iron Curtain."

/GREEN BALKANS