Admiral Emil Eftimov will be relieved of his position as Chief of Defence and discharged from military service as of January 2, 2027. This is stipulated in Decree No. 334 of President Iliana Iotova, published in issue 103 of the State Gazette.
The document was issued on November 5, 2026, and its implementation was assigned to Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov. The decree states:
“I hereby relieve Admiral Emil Vasilev Eftimov of his position as Chief of Defence and discharge him from military service as of January 2, 2027.”
The decision came after Eftimov submitted a report on September 30 requesting his discharge from military service with three months’ notice. The information was announced by the Ministry of Defence. On October 28, the Council of Ministers proposed that the president issue a decree relieving him of his position as of January 2, 2027.
Emil Eftimov was born on August 16, 1961. He has served as Chief of Defence since March 30, 2020. His distinctions include the Ministry of Defence’s “For Faithful Service Under the Colours” award badge and the ministry’s “St. George” honorary badge.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, nova.bg