Bulgarian opposition leader claims "illegal" arms to Ukraine
Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the Bulgarian opposition party Revival, accused the government of providing "illegal" aid to Ukraine. In his opinion, Bulgarian rockets are reaching the front lines, a transfer that has lacked consensus among Bulgarian authorities.
The Bulgarianmilitary portal reports that Kostadin Kostadinov did not specify which rockets he was referring to. Bulgarian warehouses hold a large arsenal of various types of missiles, which are highly sought after by the Ukrainian armed forces. Bulgaria has supported Ukraine's defense forces almost since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, although this support has faced challenges due to political divisions and pro-Russian propaganda.
Tochka-U from Bulgaria for Ukraine?
Among NATO countries, Bulgaria is recognized as a leader in producing ammunition for Soviet-era artillery systems, which Ukraine also utilizes. This includes systems such as the 2S1 Gvozdika, 2S3 Akatsiya, and BM-21 Grad.
The Bulgarianmilitary portal, however, suggests that more powerful weapons in the form of Tochka-U ballistic missiles might be of interest to the pro-Russian Revival party. Despite their history dating back to the 1980s, these missiles remain dangerous, as demonstrated in the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian war. The Tochka-U has a maximum range of about 75 miles and can carry various types of warheads, including conventional, cluster, and even nuclear.
Bulgarian aid for Ukraine
Although officially, aid from Bulgaria to Ukraine increased gradually as the war progressed, some sources indicate that Sofia might have been supporting Kyiv significantly from the start of the Russian aggression. For instance, the German portal Welt published an article in 2023 suggesting that Bulgarian ammunition supplies might have met as much as one-third of Ukraine's needs in the early months of the war.
It is estimated that large quantities of bulletproof vests, helmets, 4.8-inch artillery shells, as well as various types of mortar rounds, handheld anti-tank weapons with dedicated ammunition, and grenades have been sent from Bulgaria to Ukraine.
An "undisclosed number of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles" also reached the front. Towards the end of 2023, after intense discussions in the Bulgarian parliament, a decision was made to send BTR-60 armored vehicles to Ukraine.
