Bulgaria’s Parliament on Friday finally approved sending military aid to Ukraine for the first time to Ukraine in the midst of Russia’s invasion after deputies agreed on a list of weapons almost a month after the National Assembly showed its readiness to deliver such aid.
The vote went ahead with 148 votes in favor out of 240, although it was again strongly opposed by socialists and pro-Russian formations, who voted against.
The list of armaments is classified, but government sources have indicated that light weapons and ammunition will be sent in particular. The measure previously approved by the Parliament gave the deputies a period of one month to configure it taking into account Bulgaria’s military capabilities, according to information from the daily ‘Dnevnik’.
In this regard, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov that the country cannot afford to send Russian anti-aircraft defense systems and Su-25 fighters, which Kiev so badly needs. «My opinion on this has been conservative because I have to ensure Bulgaria’s defense capabilities,» he said before asserting that the aid meets the standards of «Ukrainian priorities.»
Bulgaria is one of the few countries in the European Union that has not yet sent military aid to Ukraine because the Socialist Party, an ally of the previous coalition government, blocked this possibility in May.
However, although Bulgaria had not sent armaments, its suppliers had exported a large number of weapons to the country. In August, Sofia approved agreements for arms exports worth more than 500 million euros.
