US military aircraft at Sofia airport are for training, not combat missions

The deployment of American military aircraft at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia is for training activities and is not related to current or planned military operations. This was confirmed to members of parliament by the caretaker Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Nadezhda Neynsky and Atanas Zapryanov, during a hearing in parliament requested by the parliamentary group of “Vazrazhdane,” BNR reported.

US military transport planes await orders at Sofia Airport

“The aircraft at Vasil Levski Airport belong to the U.S. Air Force. Their deployment is in support of training activities. They do not have offensive capabilities; their purpose is to support air operations through aerial refueling, not to participate in combat missions,” Neynsky explained.

“The above-mentioned training is not related to the conduct of military operations, preparatory actions for upcoming military operations, or activities aimed at preventing military actions carried out by another state or organization’s armed forces,” Zapryanov stated categorically.

Defense Minister: Bulgarian-U.S. Air Force exercise unrelated to Sofia Airport

In response to a question from “Vazrazhdane” party as to why Parliament had not been notified and no parliamentary decision had been required, Neynsky pointed out that, according to the Constitutional Court, when allied forces are involved, a decision by the Council of Ministers alone is sufficient.

“The United States is our strategic partner, which is why the decision was taken at the level of the Council of Ministers,” she said, as quoted by BTA.

At the proposal of ITN party, members of parliament voted in the plenary hall to also hear from caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who had earlier informed them that he could not attend parliament today due to commitments at the Council of Ministers.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova
English: R. Petkova