site.btaDefence Minister Happy with Intelligence He Receives from Services

Defence Minister Dragomir Zakov made it clear that he is happy with the intelligence he receives from the security services. “The services provide precise information but sometimes they differ in the conclusions they make. That was especially true for the start of the military crisis [in Ukraine]. Right now I have no criticism against the services and the information I receive,” he told reporters after a hearing at the Parliamentary Defence Committee on Thursday.

The Defence Minister thus distanced himself from the critics of the special services, especially officials of the power-sharing Democratic Bulgaria, who have said repeatedly that the intelligence coming from the Bulgarian services is inadequate.

Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Atanas Atanassov said that the security services insisted until the last moment that Russia would not attack Ukraine and there would be no armed conflict.

Asked to explain that, Zakov said that the start of the Ukraine war was “an irrational decision that led to a specific action, which is always hard to predict, all the more so at a time when the diplomatic option was still on the table”. “But that was among the scenarios,” he added.

Asked for details about the battlegroup that has been set up in Bulgaria, Zakov said that it is a battalion battlegroup with Bulgaria as lead country, as described in the government decision for that. “NATO, however, has plans for protecting its member states and these plans are active and include Bulgaria and Romania. So we have a joint plan and there is a procedure whereby the battalion battlegroup will go under NATO command. It remains on Bulgarian territory, its commander is a Bulgarian and Bulgaria continues to be the lead country,” said Zakov.

He added that allied troops can join the battlegroup, if necessary, in the event of a capacity shortfall, and as provided for by the government decision.  Any NATO ally can join in and proposals have come, and Bulgaria is considering them.

Asked if Bulgarian troops may be sent abroad, Zakov said “not at the moment” and that such a move is unnecessary. 

“Nothing has changes since yesterday and there is no direct military threat for Bulgaria,” said the Defence Minister.