Bulgaria

EU agriculture ministers plan to increase the maximum amount of minimum state aid to €50,000 per farm for three years to support the agricultural sector amid ongoing market turmoil.

The Parliament adopted a law regulating the calculation of pensions for those who worked abroad and establishing rules for the termination of pension payments in certain cases.

A former senior official of the Ministry of Justice who had been granted russian citizenship was dismissed in 2021 after the SBU exposed her, and the court upheld her dismissal despite an appeal.

Lviv has received 10 new low-floor trams as part of a €200 million framework loan from the European Investment Bank to modernize urban public transport in 10 Ukrainian cities.

In Chernivtsi region, a large-scale tax evasion scheme that caused UAH 290 million in losses to the state was uncovered involving a criminal organization that illegally imported goods from Turkey by falsely declaring trucks as empty or disguising goods with a lower customs value.

President Zelenskyy held a meeting to discuss the situation on the frontline, energy issues, and the protection of critical infrastructure, emphasizing the need for greater unity among allies in providing air defense support to Ukraine.

Bulgaria plans to deploy an air defense system on its territory in the context of military assistance to Ukraine.

Acting Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that Russian aggression is a direct problem for Bulgaria.

The Second Black Sea Security Conference in Sofia analyzes the impact of Russian aggression on regional security and discusses strategies to counter threats and ensure sustainable development of peace-loving states.

The Second Black Sea Security Conference, co-hosted by Ukraine and Bulgaria on April 15 in Sofia, aims to develop effective strategies to respond to existing challenges and ensure sustainable development for all peace-loving states in the region in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Bulgaria's National Assembly has approved the allocation of 60,000 euros to Ukraine as part of a four-year, 16. 5 million euro program of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, despite opposition from some MPs who wanted the funds to be used for other purposes.

Bulgaria's newly appointed interim defense minister, Atanas Zapryanov, wants to speed up military aid packages to Ukraine, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen Kyiv's defense capabilities.

More than 2,200 troops and 135 ships, aircraft and vehicles from 12 NATO and partner countries take part in the Sea Shield 24 naval exercise in Romania.

In March 2024, another 130 dolphins died in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia's Krasnodar Territory, likely due to sonar activity by Russian Navy ships, bringing the total number of dolphin deaths due to the war to several thousand.

More than 2,200 military personnel from 12 NATO and partner countries will take part in Exercise Sea Shield 24, which will take place in Romania from April 8-21 and will include maritime and riverine operations in the Black Sea region.

European Council President Charles Michel arrived in Romania for the first time since the country partially joined the Schengen area, a step toward free movement of goods and people.

44 countries support the creation of a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the Netherlands has offered to host it.

Lviv Arsenal LLC appeals to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine to help resolve the situation with the supply of mortar shells purchased under a contract with the Ministry of Defense, which are currently in Slovakia.

An organized group headed by Artem Shilo, a former advisor to the Presidential Office and SBU officer, embezzled almost UAH 95 million by inflating prices for the purchase of transformers during martial law.

The SAPO and the NABU exposed an organized group headed by a former advisor to the Presidential Office that embezzled UAH 94. 8 million during the purchase of transformers under martial law.

Dozens of dolphins died in the Black Sea near occupied Crimea, Novorossiysk, and the coast of Russia's Krasnodar Territory in March 2024 due to military operations, some of them showing signs of sonar damage, bringing the total number of dead animals since March 2022 to 50,000.

Romania and Bulgaria have partially joined the Schengen area for air and sea travel, allowing free movement without document checks, but land border controls remain in place due to Austria's opposition on migration grounds.

Bulgarian customs officers seized about 170 kg of cocaine worth EUR 6. 2 million hidden in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador.

The Slovakian company SEVOTECH has appealed to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy to remove 7,000 mortar shells from the Lviv arsenal by April 1, 2024, or they will be resold.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, believes that Europe should create its own version of the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system.

Ukraine plans to support Ukrainian producers under the "Made in Ukraine" initiative through cashback programs, investment loans, and simplified government regulations to stimulate demand, provide financing, and reduce bureaucracy.

Croatia has introduced a controversial law that penalizes whistleblowers who pass information from court investigations to the press, despite opposition and journalist concerns about curbing media freedom and whistleblowing.

Bulgaria has successfully shipped the first batch of 30 Soviet-era BTR-60 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine as part of military aid, with a total of 100 vehicles to be delivered.

The majority of the population in NATO countries supports their country's military assistance to Ukraine in the fight against Russia.

Moldova has decided to suspend the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, citing russia's withdrawal from the treaty.