The second tanker plane from the United States Air Force has also landed at the military base "Bezmer". This was announced by the Ministry of Defense for bTV.
The first American plane landed at around 16:00 today.
According to Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, the tanker planes will be up to 8 in number, and with them - up to 250 servicemen. up to 250 servicemen.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev commented that the American planes that will be stationed in Bezmer are not intended for combat operations.
„Now there will possibly be tanker planes at a military airport where they belong, moreover in a much smaller quantity. We took Iran's words seriously, but we have long-established relations of cooperation, mutual trust and friendship with it, so their state leadership understands very well that the planes are not intended for combat operations. Therefore, I do not expect a deterioration in bilateral relations. Otherwise, there would be 15 American tanker planes almost in the center of the capital right now,“ he explained.
The Ministry of Defense states that the competent services are conducting a daily assessment of the security situation.
In the village of Bezmer there was a protest and a petition against the deployment of military aircraft in the area.
In an interview for the program “Why?“ on bTV, Minister Stoyanov admitted that the parliament's decision to deploy the machines was difficult, but explained that our country bears responsibility for the contracts concluded with allied forces.
Representatives of the services assured that there is no direct threat to Bulgaria's security, and the responsible institutions are in constant contact with their partners in the region and within NATO for timely warning in the event of an escalation of military actions in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Measures have been taken to strengthen security at the “Bezmer“ airport, the country's airspace and to guarantee the security of citizens.