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All three of those issues gas deliveries, North Macedonia and weapons for Ukraine have seen Bulgaria'sPresident Radev and Economy MinisterKorneliya Ninova, who's also the head of the BSP, clash with their prime minister, KirilPetkov. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Bulgaria and Ukraine is 768 km= 477 miles. In a separate incident in the south of Ukraine, officials in Odesa said air defenses intercepted a Russian reconnaissance drone off . . We are under severe attack at the moment, he said, describing this as a clear attempt to derail our government by stoking domestic unrest. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. What are the travel restrictions in Ukraine? This is supported by the fact that the Interior Ministry in Moscow is searching for Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, who reports on Russian security for Bellingcat. The 2K22 Tunguska (SA-19 Grison) has been seen fairly frequently in the Ukrainian conflict, albeit mainly in Russian hands. Christopher Nehring. The delicate position Bulgaria is in is connected with two important factors. But, according to Mr. Petkov, the prime minister, Russia gravely miscalculated by turning Bulgaria into a test of its ability to inflict economic damage and alter government policy in support of Ukraine. Some of them are sympathetic towards Ukraine, others towards Russia, but what is important is that their security be provided for, that they look to the future with confidence. The government in Kyiv confirmed that version of events. After Russia invaded the country on February24, 2022, the government in Sofia began a "secret strategy" as soon as four days later, when then pro-Western Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov visited the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. In the weeks since, Bulgaria, a country that Moscow long counted as its most ardent and reliable friend in Europe, has joined fellow members of the European Union in imposing ever tougher economic sanctions on Russia, offered to repair broken military helicopters and tanks for Ukraine, and expelled yet more Russian diplomats. Stefan Yanev sparked a backlash over a post on Facebook in which he . Petkov and Vassilev have already made history with their unprecedented covert help. The two countries each have five oblasts extending and touches the international border. Sweden announced in late February that it would send 10,000 single . Bulgaria, one of the poorest EU members and long perceived as pro-Moscow, helped Ukraine survive Russia's early onslaught by secretly supplying it with large amounts of desperately needed diesel . The conflict in Ukraine was the focus of the annual conference of the Bulgarian Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov on 22 February . Are there restrictions returning to Bulgaria from Ukraine? Ukraine retained the delineation of the border after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in the late 20th century. On March 2, the Russian ambassador laid a wreath at the . But there's a catch it needs U.S. jets. A solution came from Ukraine itself. He is accused of organizing the hijacking of Russian warplanes together with the Ukrainian secret service SBU. Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Has, for the Time Being, Strengthened NATO. Western leaders set to upgrade military aid for Ukraine in Ramstein. Apart from ammunitions, Bulgaria also supplied fuel to the Ukrainian army and ended up covering up to 40 per cent of its needs between April and August, the report claimed. A year after the start of the war, in his words, the conflict "showed the importance and role of well-prepared,.. Sixteen parties and seven coalitions have declared their will to participate in the election battle for representation in the 49th National Assembly. "Thanks to underfunding, a third of their equipment is defective," Mikhailov said. It will reshape European security. Given these sensitivities, Bulgarias official stance toward the war has seen it lumped in the same basket as Viktor Orbns Hungary too politically in hock to Moscow to pull its weight. It offers some of the most affordable accommodations in Europe. Sofia provided fuel and vital Soviet specification arms to Kyiv, but had to keep supplies secret because of pro-Moscow politicians in government. We made sure that the overland route via Romania and Hungary was also open to trucks, Petkov said. More. Most importantly, these islands in the Black Sea have become significant tourist attractions, playing an essential role in the economy of these countries. "Ukraine was not mentioned as a buyer," she told DW. Ukraine recognizes the importance of securing its international borders and has therefore heavily invested in border security. The agreement applies to four of Ukraines administrative oblasts; Odessa, Transcarpathia, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk. But then things fell silent again. Bulgarian National Radio 2023 All Rights Reserved, Jens Stoltenberg welcomes Germanys decision to put the certification of Nord Stream 2 on hold, VMRO party to boycott the April 2 elections, The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is escalating, according to Bulgarian analysts, Some surprising participants in upcoming vote, but with no chance of a seat in parliament. Petkov insists one thing is irreversible: We have shown that a world is possible without dependence and fear of Russia.. Also the estimated airplane flight time is displayed. Instead, it includes the likes of small arms, grenades and other munitions. "The events that are happening only 400 km from our borders are a good reason to think about what are categories such as security and stability, which in days of prosperity we take for granted, but a quick 'change' is able to destroy everything in days. Covertly dealing arms was a Cold War specialty of Kintex, once owned by the Bulgarian secret service. Your plane flies much faster than a car, so the flight time is about 1/10th of the time it would take to drive. Bulgarian PresidentRumenRadevhas supported the BSP on this issue, warning that weapons deliveries would make Bulgaria a party to the war. Russia. The road distance is 1302.9 km. Adding to this the situation in Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, or even Nagorno-Karabakh, which have been a source of cascading problems around Russia, Bulgarias measured response to the Ukraine crisis is easy to explain, the analyst says. Cumulatively Ukraines maritime border is 842 miles in length and is shared with Romania and Russia. He also mentioned deliveries of ammunition for the Grad BM-21 multiple rocket launcher. Bulgarians comprise the majority in Bolhrad District and are prevalent in the district of Budjak in the Odesa Oblast and throughout the southern part of the country. The miles based distance from Bulgaria to Russia is miles. Attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure by Russian forces have triggered blackouts in major cities, including Kyiv, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv. How healthy are India's 1.4 billion people? Russia wants a guarantee Ukraine can never join NATO. Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Rome2rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Russia invades Ukraine. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. Traditionally, Russia has always had a big influence here, but we have been a big surprise to them, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said in an interview last week in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. effort to remind Bulgaria of the debt it owed Russia, ever tougher economic sanctions on Russia, first country along with Poland targeted by Moscows energy weapon, China could move to supply weapons to Moscow, a visit by the German leader to Washington, said it briefly took control of a border town in the Bryansk region of Russia, Sergey V. Lavrov, for example, recently infuriated many people in Israel. VLADIMIR PUTIN'S invasion of Ukraine, long predicted by the West and long denied by . No, returning to Bulgaria from Ukraine is currently immune. The statement said that he also insisted on the need to develop an effective package of preventive sanctions to deter Russian aggression, ensure Ukraine's energy security, and ensure its integration into the EU energy market when Nord Stream 2 is used as a weapon. Moscow has kept China onside and rallied support in Africa and parts of Latin America, but elsewhere it has displayed a striking capacity to lose friends and alienate people. Bulgaria in March recalled its ambassador from Moscow in response to what it described as undiplomatic, sharp, and rude statements by Ms. Mitrofanova. Russia has cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, targeting Europe's economy to pressure Ukraine's allies. Moscow also tried to bribe deputies and infiltrate the authorities. According to information supplied to WELT, the U.S. and Great Britain paid for the supplies. Mr. Petkov this week visited Washington, where Vice President Kamala Harris pledged U.S. solidarity in the face of Russias latest attempt to use energy as a weapon.. Latest news, analysis and comment on German politics and beyond. It has let the Russian ambassador stay in Sofia, but more of her diplomats will soon be ordered home. Many Bulgarians consider the Russians as a . I made it clear in the talks that the tankers are a political signal to all of Europe that there are always ways out of dependence on Russia. He also had a pipeline connection to Greece completed to catalyze alternatives to Russian supply lines. More. This venue, inaugurated in 1935 and rebuilt for 2011, has a capacity for . Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Assen Vassilev, Bulgarias finance minister and deputy prime minister, insisted that Bulgaria was already well on its way to securing substitute supplies of gas by pipeline from Azerbaijan and through deliveries by sea of liquefied natural gas to terminals in neighboring Greece for transport north to Bulgaria. Slovakia. Though slim, there is still some hope that diplomacy will prevail, even though the sanctions against Russia are a fact. Only a day after the parliamentary debate and the decision on Ukraine, Bulgaria's President Radev attacked the move again, describing the repair of Ukrainian military equipment as "a dangerous step.". "Other parts have disappeared, been stolen, or exported. The crisis between Russia and Ukraine has a global dimension and poses a threat not only to the security of Bulgaria and our region but also to the whole of Europe. Ukraine is the largest country that is entirely within Europe. It takes approximately 16h 56m to drive from Bulgaria to Ukraine. Transiting that to Bulgaria, then returning it to Ukraine involves more effort than its worth.". "Bulgaria has not supplied any weapons directly to Ukraine. Opinion polls show that sympathy for Russia is slipping but is still stronger in Bulgaria than elsewhere in Europe. If you do not have an account you can register here. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. "We should have replaced it long ago.". How would Russia respond? Mihailov spoke of exports worth 2 billion since the war began. BBC News. A total of 148 lawmakers from the 240-seat parliament voted to send the aid on Friday, with the Socialists and the pro-Russian Revival party voting against.