Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Defence Minister Tagarev: Bulgaria has maintenance problems with its MiG-29s

Todor Tagarev
Photo: BTA

Defence Minister Todor Tagarev admitted that Bulgaria has problems with the maintenance of its MiG-29 aircraft. He added that the planes should remain in service until they are replaced by F-16s. 

"The MiG-29s are upkept with an effort, but their engines cannot be maintained in this way," he said during his hearing at the parliamentary defence committee, as quoted by BGNES news agency. The first batch of F-16 Block 70s should be delivered by 2025, and the last by 2030. "We hope to be able to conclude a contract to overhaul our engines," Tagarev said.

During the hearing, it was revealed that a Bulgarian aircraft has been at an airport in Ukraine for about a year, but its return has been hampered by a lack of safe conditions.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Ex-PM Boyko Borisov: Not a single Bulgarian soldier will go to Ukraine

No Bulgarian soldier will go to Ukraine. This was stated by GERB leader and ex-premier Boyko Borisov in a video statement on his Facebook page. He pointed out that this was a decision of GERB and the party's parliamentary group from June 2024 and is..

published on 2/18/25 3:32 PM
At the official opening of the 10th International Agricultural Exhibition AGRA in Plovdiv

4% of Bulgaria's GDP is created by the agricultural sector

The agriculture sector in Bulgaria maintains its stability, providing employment to 6% of the population and forming about 4% of the country's GDP. This is shown by current data on the state of the sector, presented by the Minister of Agriculture..

published on 2/18/25 3:14 PM
Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov

Council of Ministers has not discussed Bulgarian participation in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine

The Bulgarian Council of Ministers has not discussed the hypothesis of Bulgaria's possible participation in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. This was stated to the media by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Atanas..

published on 2/18/25 2:29 PM