BTA: Ukraine to receive armored vehicles from Bulgaria

The National Assembly of Bulgaria has ratified an agreement between the country's Interior Ministry and Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense on the provision of armored vehicles to Kyiv, as per BTA. The draft agreement between Ukraine and Bulgaria was signed in Sofia on 8 August. The decision has been approved by 131 votes after two hours of debates on the matter. Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria were considering creating a joint force to clear any mines drifting into their waters from Russia’s war in Ukraine. The three NATO members bordering the Black Sea aimed to set up the unit in November 2023.

Bloomberg: NATO allies to jointly demine Black Sea route

With Russia’s attacks getting closer to NATO borders, the alliance has sought to respond without escalating tensions. Debris and mines from the war increasingly threaten the only NATO countries with direct Black Sea access. While not a formal NATO operation, the proposed joint mine-clearing force would mark regional allies’ first major combined effort since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. It intends to address the issue without bringing additional NATO naval forces to the sea. Read also:

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• Romania and Ukraine work together to regulate Ukrainian grain exports