Bulgarian new Defense Minister Todor Tagarev announced his intention to provide military assistance to Ukraine among his first statements. In a speech following the parliamentary vote, Tagarev said his ministry intends to continue efforts to strengthen the country's defense capability.
"The second point is the contribution of our army to Black Sea security... We must help Ukraine continue its counteroffensive," the Bulgarian newspaper quoted the minister as saying.
Tagarev said the assistance should not harm the defense capability of Bulgaria.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 in response to calls by the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics for protection from Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, aims to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, and to completely liberate Donbas.