Bulgarian Defense Minister embroiled in scandal over Polish MiG-29s promised to Ukraine

Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov has come under fire after Sofia approached Poland regarding the possible acquisition of MiG-29 fighter jets. This is reported by UNN citing official statements from the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency and the Polish side.

Details

The aircraft in question are those that Warsaw had previously discussed transferring to Ukraine. However, the Bulgarian authorities insist that the fighters are needed only as a source of spare parts.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Defense stated that no negotiations with Poland regarding the purchase of fighter jets are currently underway. Sofia has only sent inquiries to the Polish and Hungarian sides to clarify the future fate of their MiG-29 aircraft and the possibility of obtaining the planes or individual components.

According to Stoyanov, Bulgaria does not plan to create an additional squadron of Soviet fighter jets. The aircraft are considered exclusively as donors of engines, assemblies, and other parts necessary to maintain the Bulgarian MiG-29s in working condition.

If some opposition representatives believe that protecting Ukraine's airspace is more important than protecting Bulgaria's airspace, let them say so publicly

He emphasized that the country's airspace must be protected by Bulgarian aircraft and pilots. It was this statement that gave the technical issue a political dimension and provoked a sharp reaction from the opposition, which accused the government of trying to pit Bulgaria's security against support for Ukraine.

Representatives of the opposition party "Yes, Bulgaria" held a protest near the Ministry of Defense building, placing an old Moskvich car there. In this way, they accused the authorities of turning the Bulgarian army into a warehouse for outdated Soviet equipment and called for focusing on the purchase of modern Western aircraft.

At the same time, Bulgaria's Ministry of Defense clarified that as of the end of July, Warsaw had not responded to Sofia's request. Formal negotiations have not begun, and there are no agreements on the number of aircraft, their cost, or delivery timelines.

It is worth noting that at the end of July 2026, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka reported that Warsaw had received a specific proposal from Ukraine regarding a possible exchange of Polish MiG-29s for Ukrainian drones or related technologies. There is also no final agreement on such an exchange yet.

As of August 2, Poland has not made a decision on transferring aircraft to either Bulgaria or Ukraine. The scandal in Sofia arose from the very fact of the request for fighter jets, which are simultaneously being considered as a possible resource for strengthening Ukrainian aviation.

Context

Bulgaria continues to use MiG-29s to protect its airspace until the new American F-16 Block 70 fighter jets reach full operational readiness. To keep the old aircraft in working condition, the country needs engines and components. The Polish state enterprise WZL-2 is already handling the maintenance of Bulgarian MiGs.

Additionally, the Bulgarian defense ministry has announced a tender for the overhaul of up to ten RD-33 engines for the MiG-29. The maximum cost of the procurement is approximately 17 million euros, including taxes.

In parallel, Poland continues to discuss the possible transfer of its MiG-29s to Ukraine. In the security cooperation agreement signed by Kyiv and Warsaw in July 2024, Poland committed to considering the transfer of at least one squadron, i.e., no fewer than 14 aircraft, to Ukraine. At the same time, this decision was not supposed to weaken the defense capability of the Polish Air Force.