11395 | 11 June 2026 | 13:02

This refutes the allegations that the aid was unconditional or that Bulgaria suffers from "socio-economic damages from this war", as stated by Prime Minister Radev.

As a result of trilateral deals, over 200 million euros have been received in the budget of the Ministry of Defense as compensation for the military aid provided to Ukraine. "Unfortunately, I cannot disclose any information about the exact assistance provided, as it is classified. At the moment, the assistance provided through various mechanisms is worth around 3 million euros through one mechanism and slightly over 200 million euros through another mechanism," stated Dimitar Stoyanov.

"These funds will remain for the modernization of the Bulgarian army. Part of them were used to cover the deficit in the state budget. Almost half of the 200 million were used for this purpose. We have indeed provided free assistance to Ukraine. The payment comes through various mechanisms used in the European Union.

" This was stated by Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, who is currently participating in the tactical exercise "Retaliatory Strike 2026" at the military base "Koren" near Haskovo. This information practically refutes the allegations that the aid was unconditional or that Bulgaria suffers "socio-economic damages from this war", as stated by Prime Minister Radev.

It is clear that "the aid for Ukraine does not decrease the capability of the Bulgarian army, but rather increases it because we are replacing old weapons with new ones", and "the money is going into the treasury". Stoyanov revealed that half of the 200 million euros have been deposited into the general budget of the Ministry of Defense.

"Half of them, comparatively speaking, have remained in the budget of the Ministry of Defense." "They are used for infrastructure, maintenance of existing equipment and not just for modernization," the minister pointed out. "The financial state of the country is such that it is necessary to think about stability not only of the Bulgarian army, but of all systems - social and economic," said Dimitar Stoyanov today.

"We must think about sustainability not only of the Bulgarian army, but of every system - social and economic," he added. The military industry in Bulgaria has reached over 4% of the GDP in recent years and is among the main reasons for the country's economic growth. According to data from the Ministry of Economy from September last year, Bulgaria has exported weapons worth over 13 billion leva since the start of the war in Ukraine.

"In the Balkans, there is certainly no one left unemployed." "The factories attract workers from other areas, and salaries are being raised," commented Prof. Todor Tagarev before the National Assembly. "Unfortunately, the budget does not allow for further indexing of military salaries. This will most likely disappoint many, but that is the financial state of the country and we must think about the stability not only of the Bulgarian army, but also of every system - social, economic, and others," added Stoyanov.

Regarding the question of whether Bulgaria contributes to the assistance for Ukraine with its contributions as part of the EU, the Ministry of Defense responds: "Bulgaria pays all due contributions to the EU, without blocking initiatives taken by other member states."

When asked if a request has been received from the Ukrainian side for new arms deliveries and if this could be a solution, Minister Dimitar Stoyanov clarified that there is currently no official request received through the Ministry of Defense.