Bulgaria has missed several opportunities over the years to establish a stable and effective air defense system, according to Ivan Anchev, a former deputy interior minister, diplomat and national security expert. Speaking to Bulgarian National Radio, Anchev said the recent downing of a foreign drone near Kardam highlighted long-standing weaknesses in the country's defense capabilities.
He said authorities should have taken urgent measures years ago, particularly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In his view, however, the warning signs had already been visible since 2014.
"We should have taken urgent measures 5 or 10 years ago, especially after the start of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine in 2022. But even before that - in 2014, the red light should have come on for us," Anchev said.
He argued that Bulgaria had failed to take advantage of several military and political opportunities to develop a reliable air defense network. He specifically pointed to the decision to retain older Soviet-made S-300 systems instead of using the opportunity to transfer them to Ukraine and acquire modern systems for Bulgaria.
"We missed a number of opportunities, military-political opportunities, to build a good and stable air defense of Bulgaria," he said, adding that Bulgaria is now widely considered the weakest link in NATO's eastern flank in terms of air defense.
