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

Defense Minister mulls military training for some civil servants

Photo: Zdravka Maslyankova, BNR

Filling the reserve in the Bulgarian army is complicated, announced the caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. The military authorities are trying to fill it through temporary service in the voluntary reserve. Reservists will be attracted by higher pay and modernisation of weapons. 

The old Soviet-era weaponry puts young people off, an opinion poll shows, the minister was quoted as saying by the daily 24 Chasa. 

"If this does not help, we will think of other measures. We are not talking about bringing back compulsory conscription, but about preparing citizens to defend their homeland. It is related to certain categories of civil servants for whom the compulsory military training requirement may be introduced," the minister said. According to him, before becoming civil servants, military training will be given to those willing to work in the structures of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice.


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

Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev

There will be no money from the EU under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan

The second payment from the EU under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of 653 million euros will certainly be refused, even though Bulgaria has implemented 85% of the reforms undertaken to this stage. This was stated at a briefing by Deputy..

published on 2/26/25 1:40 PM

Bulgaria's rating among the free countries in the world is deteriorating: Freedom House

The situation with freedom in the world is deteriorating, and authoritarianism is increasing, according to the annual ranking of the non-governmental organization "Freedom House" , which monitors the state of democracy around the world. The countries..

published on 2/26/25 12:23 PM

Ukrainians in Plovdiv region have 6 points for re-registration as temporarily displaced persons

Ukrainian citizens living in the region of Plovdiv will be able to renew their documents for temporary protection in Bulgaria at six points in Plovdiv, the Plovdiv Regional Police Directorate announced. The Bulgarian government has extended the..

published on 2/26/25 12:08 PM