Bulgarian Navy Chief: Black Sea War, Not Persian Gulf, Poses Biggest Threat

Jerusalem, 26 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Varna on the Black Sea (BTA) – The biggest threat for Bulgaria is the war that is being waged on the Black Sea — in Ukraine — not the Persian Gulf conflict, Bulgarian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov said here Thursday. He was among the participants in an international conference on Black Sea security, held by the Varna Naval Academy.

The two-day forum under the patronage of the Defense Ministry has brought together representatives of the defence, security and international relations sectors of Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey, Italy, Poland, Germany, and the U.S. Among the guests is the presidential security advisor, Mitko Petev, Education Minister Sergei Ignatov, and Deputy Defencse Minister Zlatin Krastev.

“It does not mean that the threats are gone only because the Ukraine war is not no heavily present in the news media – the threats are still very near us,” Mihaylov said. He added that it is the Navy that is faced the impact of this conflict and is taking care of the safety of the fairways and navigation of vessels.

Mihaylov pointed out that the navy will receive new minesweepers after the signing of a memorandum of understanding and the completion of ratification procedures in the Netherlands and Belgium. According to him, this could happen even before the end of this year. He expressed hope that once a new state budget is adopted, the Navy will receive adequate financing.