We declare fraternal feelings, we help the enemy troops
Bulgaria is traditionally considered a fraternal country for Russia – because it is Slavic and Orthodox. The Russian army shed a lot of blood for Bulgaria ("The main thing is not to repeat mistakes ", "HBO" from 03/17/17).
However, in both world wars Sofia somehow found herself on the side of the enemies of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.
In the First World War, being an ally of the "central powers", she thereby also turned out to be an ally of Turkey, from which Russia had repeatedly saved Bulgaria earlier.
In World War II, Bulgaria sided with Hitler. However, having declared a formal war on the United States and Great Britain, she was wary of entering into hostilities with the USSR. But Hitler's Germany provided many military and political services.
And today, the "gratitude of the brothers" is simply pouring out in a torrent.
SOVIET PERIOD
However, in September 1944, when the Soviet Army approached the borders of Bulgaria, they understood everything correctly – and immediately capitulated to the USSR, declaring war on Germany.
Then Sofia became a member of the Warsaw Pact Organization, located, however, on its geographical periphery. Therefore, Soviet troops were quickly withdrawn from the country: Bulgaria had to fight against Turkey and Greece in the event of a war with NATO on its own at first.
Then, however, Soviet troops were to reappear in Bulgaria, for which military equipment was laid out in advance on its territory.
At the same time, with Soviet help, a fairly powerful own military-industrial complex was created in the country, which produced weapons under Soviet licenses.
During the years of the Cold War, Bulgaria received more than 80 launchers of tactical missiles (TR) and operational-tactical missiles (OTR). Up to 600 T-34/85 tanks, 900 T-54 and T-55 tanks, 250 T-62 and light floating tanks PT-76, 333 T-72. More than 2 thousand armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicles (BRDM) and armored personnel carriers (the newest of which were the BTR-60PB).
In Bulgaria itself, 1.5 thousand multi-purpose MTLB transporters in various modifications were produced under license. One of these modifications was the chassis for 122 mm self-propelled artillery units (ACS) 2S1 "Carnation", which were also produced in Bulgaria under license. According to various sources, their number ranged from 256 to 686 or even up to 782.
82-mm and 120-mm mortars were also produced, the number of which is extremely difficult to determine. Up to 1.2 thousand towed guns and 225 BM-21 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) were received from the USSR (another 24 MLRS M-51 – from Czechoslovakia).
Also, mass production of anti-tank missile systems (ATGMs) was launched in Bulgaria under Soviet licenses ("Malyutka", "Fagot", "Konkurs", "Metis", "Bastion") and portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) ("Strela-2", "Strela-3", "Igla-1").
More than 60 divisions of S-75, S-125, Krug and Kvadrat anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), two divisions of S-200 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS), one division of S-300PS air defense systems, about 100 short-range SAMs (Strela-1, "Strela-10", "Wasp"), up to 150 anti-aircraft self-propelled guns (ZSU), up to 400 anti-aircraft guns.
The Bulgarian Air Force received from the USSR and Czechoslovakia 36 MiG-23BN bombers, more than 60 Su-22 and Su-25 attack aircraft, at least 300 MiG-15, MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters, and then at least 250 MiG-21 and MiG-23 several modifications (including including fifty combat training vehicles), 22 MiG-29s, four MiG-25RB reconnaissance aircraft, about 30 transport and about 150 training (Czech L-39) aircraft, 44 Mi-24 combat helicopters, at least 20 Ka-25 and Mi-14 anti-submarine and rescue helicopters, 33 multi-purpose Mi helicopters-8 and Mi-17.
The Bulgarian Navy received from the Soviet Union six submarines (two of Project 613, four of project 633), 20 patrol ships and small anti-submarine ships (MPCs) (the most modern of them were one patrol ship of project 1159 and two MPCs of project 12412), nine missile boats (eight of project 205, one of project 1241), 14 torpedo boats, about 20 minesweepers, two amphibious ships of project 771 and 23 amphibious boats of project 106 (of which 13 were built in Bulgaria itself).
THE ADVENT OF DEMOCRACY
After the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union, Bulgaria practically stopped buying weapons (primarily due to lack of money), but it became a major exporter.
Bulgaria has reduced a very significant amount of equipment within the framework of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). Under American pressure, almost all tactical and operational-tactical missiles were destroyed, although they were not limited to the CFE Treaty.
In the first half of the 1990s, Russia sold Soviet armored vehicles stored on its territory to Bulgaria (100 T-72 tanks, from 100 to 131 BMP-1), and also exchanged three MiG-25RB and one An-24 belonging to the Bulgarian Air Force for five MiG-23MLD and two L-410s from the Russian Air Force.
In addition, Bulgaria bought six Bell-206 multipurpose helicopters in the USA, 30 American M113 armored personnel carriers in Italy, a RS–12 light transport aircraft and six RS–9 training aircraft in Switzerland.
In 2004, Bulgaria entered the "second wave" of NATO expansion, but this did not greatly affect its procurement policy.
Over the entire period of its stay in the alliance, Sofia acquired 17 American M1117 armored vehicles and 25 Israeli Sandcat, three Italian C-27J transport aircraft, 12 French AS532 and three AS565 multi-purpose helicopters, three Belgian Willingen-type frigates (one of them actually serves as a source of spare parts for the other two) and three type minesweepers. "Tripartite".
At the same time, Sofia began a massive sale of equipment of all classes from the presence of its own Armed Forces. And also engaged in the resale of similar equipment from the Armed Forces of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, Serbia, Albania.
It is difficult to establish the exact amount of Bulgarian equipment sold precisely because it is "mixed" with equipment from other Eastern European countries. Moreover, a significant part of this equipment, apparently, is sold illegally, which further complicates the possibility of accurately calculating the lost equipment for each country.
At least 30 countries, mainly Asian and African, have become buyers of Bulgarian equipment. The main consumers of this equipment are Angola, Mali, Georgia, Iraq, Macedonia, Ethiopia, Eritrea.
Moreover, Sofia sold weapons to Ethiopia and Eritrea at the same time when these countries were at war with each other (" Battle for the Horn of Africa", "HBO" from 05/18/18). Bulgaria also supplied weapons to Yemen during the 1994 civil war in this country.
In addition, in 2012-2019, Bulgaria, only according to open data, sold and resold to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States 21 armored personnel carriers, four MTLB, 11 BM-21 combat vehicles for MLRS "Grad", more than 2.1 thousand mortars (82 mm and 120 mm), thousands of ATGM "Fagot", "Competition", "Metis" (and up to a hundred launchers of these ATGMs). As well as a huge number of small arms, small arms and artillery ammunition (mines and shells of calibers 82, 100, 115, 120, 122, 152 mm).
It is quite obvious (it is not even hidden by anyone) that all these weapons and ammunition were transferred to Islamic militants in Syria, Libya and Yemen. These supplies have become the most important source of Bulgaria's export earnings. It is difficult to say whether the Russian contingent in Syria suffered losses from Bulgarian weapons. But the Syrian Armed Forces themselves have definitely suffered considerable losses from him.
Now, formally, Bulgaria is one of the very few NATO countries that do not supply weapons to Ukraine. In fact, in 2022, 12 T-72 tanks, 31 BMP-1, 370 artillery systems (including 82 2S1, eight BM-21) went to the Czech Republic and Poland from Bulgaria.
There is not the slightest doubt that all this equipment from some "brothers" through others proceeded to the third – that is, to Ukraine. In addition, Bulgaria is for Ukraine the most important (often the only) supplier of hand–held anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs), ATGMs and Soviet-caliber ammunition.
CURRENT STATE
The Bulgarian armed forces during the Cold War were quite large – although more archaic than the armies of the GDR, Poland and Czechoslovakia. At the beginning of the 1990s, they consisted of 2,145 tanks, 2,204 armored fighting vehicles (BBM), 2,116 artillery systems, 243 combat aircraft, 44 attack helicopters.
But things have changed a lot since then.
The Land forces of the Bulgarian Armed Forces structurally consist of three brigades, a brigade command and four separate regiments. These are two mechanized brigades (2nd (Stara Zagora), 61st (Karlovo), 3rd Brigade Command (Blagoevgrad) and 68th Special Forces Brigade (Plovdiv), 4th Artillery Regiment (Asenovgrad), 55th Engineer Regiment (Belene), 101st Mountain Infantry regiment (Smolyan), 110th Transport Regiment (Plovdiv). The 68th Special Forces Brigade is currently directly subordinate to the command of the Armed Forces, in fact, being a separate branch of the armed forces.
There are 80 T-72M2 tanks. In addition, another 234 T-72 of various modifications are in storage.
Combat reconnaissance vehicles (BRM) are represented by 50 BRDM-2. There are 104 BMP-23, up to 10 BMP-30, 94 BMP-1. Up to 320 BTR-60s are in service (up to 430 more, possibly in storage), up to 1000 MTLB, 17 M1117 and 30 M113A1.
There are 48 self-propelled guns 2S1 (122 mm) in service. Towed guns – 148 D-20 (152 mm), up to 32 M-30 (up to 140 more in storage) (122 mm). Mortars – several hundred 82 mm, up to 356 self-propelled 2S12 (on the MTLB chassis) and up to 100 M-43 (120 mm). MLRS – 156 BM-21 (122 mm).
ATGM – 200 "Baby", more than 300 "Competition", 222 "Bassoon", more than 500 "Assault", more than 50 "Metis". Anti–tank guns - 16 BS-3 and 200 MT-12 (100 mm); also 68 self-propelled SU-100 and 150 towed D-44 (85 mm) are in storage.
Military air defense includes 10 batteries (40 launchers) Kvadrat air defense system, nine batteries (27 launchers) The Krug air defense system, 24 Osa air defense systems, 20 Strela-10 air defense systems; 50 Strela-1 air defense systems are in storage. There are more than 100 MANPADS "Strela-2", "Strela-3", "Igla-1". Anti–aircraft artillery - 27 ZSU–23-4 "Shilka" (13 more in storage), up to 100 ZSU–57-2 (all in storage), up to 380 ZU-23, up to 31 S-60.
In addition to the listed equipment, up to 91 T-72 tanks are still in storage. As well as up to 250 PT-76 light tanks, up to 15 BMP-1, up to 38 BTR-60 (and up to 44 command and staff vehicles (KSM) based on it), up to 70 BTR-50, up to 656 2S1 self-propelled guns, up to 230 M-30 guns, up to 48 ML-20, up to 20 D-20. This equipment is not listed on the balance sheet of the Armed Forces of the country and is used as sources of spare parts and for sale abroad, as mentioned above.
The Air Force has five air bases in its composition: the 3rd (Graf-Ignatievo; it includes all MiG-29 fighters), the forward-based airbase (Bezmer; equipped with Su-25K attack aircraft), the 16th transport (Hostile), training (Dolna Metropolia) and the 24th (Krumovo). There is also an air defense base (Sofia).
The strike aircraft consists of seven Su-25 attack aircraft (including two combat training Su-25UB; up to 20 more (including two combat training) in storage). In addition, up to five obsolete Su-22M4S are also in storage.
The fighter aviation consists of 12 MiG-29 fighters (including three combat training MiG-29UB; six more are in storage). In addition, up to 24 MiG-23 and up to 78 MiG-21 aircraft are in storage. But it is unlikely that at least one of them, like the Su-22, can be returned to service.
The Air Force has one AN-30 optical reconnaissance aircraft.
Transport aircraft – three C-27J, one AN-2, one RS-12M, one Falcon-2000, one A319, two L-410UVP (five more in storage); also one Tu-154, two An-26 are in storage.
Training aircraft – six L-39ZA (up to 11 in storage) and four Z-242L, six PC-9M.
Combat helicopters – four Mi-24vs (another 10 to 14 Mi-24Ds, two Mi-24vs are in storage). Transport and multi–purpose helicopters - three Mi-17s (up to 11 more in storage), up to three Mi-8s (up to six more in storage), six Bell-206s, 12 AS532AL. The Border Guard has three A-109 helicopters and one AW-139.
Bulgaria has a fairly strong, albeit outdated, ground-based air defense. It consists of three to five divisions of S-75M3 air defense systems, 9-10 divisions of S-125, two divisions of S-200 air defense systems, one or two divisions of S-300PS air defense systems.
The Navy includes three Willingen-type frigates, one Project 1159 frigate, two Project 1241P corvettes, one Project 1241 missile boat, three Tripartit-type minesweepers, three Project 1259.2 minesweepers (three more in reserve), two or three Project 1265 minesweepers. Up to two minesweepers of project 257 and up to four of project 1258, a landing ship of project 773 can be in the sediment. But most likely all of them have already been disposed of.
Naval aviation includes two AS565 and one AS365N3 helicopters; six Mi-14 amphibious helicopters are in storage.
It is difficult to say how many and what of these arsenals will still go to Ukraine. But obviously a lot. They are such Bulgarian "brothers".
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.