Bulgaria says US military aircraft flew only to NATO countries for exercises
Two US military tanker aircraft recently stationed at Bulgaria’s Bezmer Air Base conducted flights only to NATO countries for exercises and training, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Monday.
The aircraft “have not made a single flight south,” Radev told a news conference in Sofia, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.
He said their only flights were to NATO countries north and west of Bulgaria to participate in exercises and training activities.
Radev was responding to questions about whether the aircraft, which departed Bezmer Air Base on Friday, would return and whether Bulgaria faced a security threat following recent remarks by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
Baghaei said countries had no reason to fear possible Iranian action unless they allowed their bases, facilities or equipment to be used by “aggressors for illegal activities.”
“I think all of this is clear and has been taken into account,” Radev said, adding that he did not believe Bulgaria was under threat.
Bulgaria’s parliament on July 22 authorized the deployment of up to eight US KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft, their crews, as many as 250 US military personnel carrying personal weapons and ammunition, and supporting airfield equipment.
The deployment, scheduled to run from July 24 to Oct. 1, was approved to support US operations in the Middle East, with the aircraft based at Bezmer.
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