Covert operation

BULGARIAN officials announced that the country covertly provided weapons and military equipment to Ukraine in the early stages of the Russian invasion in a statement made on Wednesday, January 18.

The statement came as a shock to many as the eastern European nation had long been perceived as pro-Russian. The former Prime Minister, Kiril Petkov, who is now in opposition, said his administration had provided desperately-needed ammunition and diesel fuel to fighter troops in Ukraine after the Kremlin ordered an invasion in February 2022.

Petkov and his former Minister for Finance,

Assen Vasilev said they provided 30 per cent of ammunition and 40 per cent of diesel used by Ukrainian troops at some points during spring 2022.

The men told the extraordinary revelations alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with a German newspaper. Petkov explained the move was done in secret due to the pro-Moscow sympathies of many politicians in Bulgaria, including coalition partners.

The deliveries were not provided directly from Bulgaria, but were sold to NATO or Ukrainian intermediaries.