We are in a new situation in terms of risks. This was confirmed to bTV by Tsvetlin Yovchev, former chairman of the National Security Agency and former Minister of the Interior, commenting on the level of threat to Bulgaria from Iran.
„Although we must clarify that we are not completely convinced that this information is completely reliable. It could be a hybrid attack by Iran. But the probability of an attack on Bulgaria is increasing. Measures must be taken“, he said.
He presented two main scenarios.
„The first - an air attack. Iran's modern ballistic missiles can reach Bulgaria. If this happens, we must rely on the NATO missile defense shield, the American ships in the Mediterranean and the capabilities of Greece, Turkey and Romania. We must again ask Greece to move the “Patriot” to our border.
The possibility of an air attack with drones is unlikely, they fly slowly and our systems can shoot them down.
The second scenario is a terrorist attack on “Bezmer“. Surveillance in the area must be strengthened and I assume that the National Security and Defense Agency has already taken such measures, as well as a greater presence of the Ministry of Internal Affairs“, Yovchev noted.
When asked what the reaction of the authorities should be in this situation, he emphasized: “There is no statement from Iran on the basis of which we can consider that the threat to us has increased. It is unnecessary to ask Iran. Diplomatic actions are unnecessary.“
He commented on Bulgaria's readiness to counter attacks with unmanned aerial vehicles. According to him, the anti-drone systems received by the country can be put into operation relatively quickly. With an intensive program, personnel training could take between 5 and 10 days.
The operating perimeter guaranteed by the manufacturer is about 5 kilometers, with real capabilities depending on the environment. That is why these mobile systems are intended primarily for the protection of specific strategic objects, and not for the protection of the entire state border.
The technology allows the combination of various sensors - radio frequency scanning, radar surveillance and other means of detecting drones, with the information being processed using artificial intelligence. However, a weakness remains the counteraction against autonomous drones that do not maintain radio communication with an operator.
„These systems are a very good thing at the moment. This is a quick solution that can improve our capabilities to some extent, but they are not enough“, said Yovchev. According to him, the systems should also be upgraded with means for physical destruction of drones.
“We need to build a concept of how to defend ourselves. It should be based on several things. First, we need to distinguish between threats - cross-border and those within the country. From there, we should basically build defense methods“, he summarized.
Regarding the government's idea to introduce military training in schools, he said: “The reality is that if mobilization is necessary in our country, there is nowhere to get people with even a little training. The problem is extremely serious. It is important how the curricula for this training will be built, but subsequently the young people must undergo some kind of similar training.“