US Air Force aircraft and tanker planes have left Bulgaria's Bezmer airbase and departed the country, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.
Speaking at the 149th anniversary commemoration of the Shipka Epic, Stoyanov said the departure followed close coordination between Bulgaria and the US government and had been expected by the Bulgarian authorities.
"Yesterday (*Friday) the planes and tankers of the US Air Force left the Bezmer base and flew away from Bulgaria," Stoyanov said.
He stressed that Bulgarian decisions concerning the deployment had been based on information received from the US side rather than speculation. "We worked in exceptional synchrony with the US government and had preliminary information. All our decisions were based on accurate and clear information, not on conspiracy theories," he said.
Stoyanov also said that none of the US aircraft conducted flights southward while they were stationed at Bezmer. According to the minister, all flights carried out during their stay were training missions conducted over US airspace.
