Bulgaria's defense minister has been criticized over the Polish MiG-29s that Ukraine is seeking to acquire

A statement by Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov regarding the possible purchase of Polish MiG-29 fighter jets sparked a wave of outrage from the Bulgarian opposition. The controversy centers on the aircraft, the transfer of which Warsaw is discussing in detail with Kyiv.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense insists that Sofia has no plans to purchase the fighter jets for combat use, but has merely sent inquiries to Poland and Hungary to use these aircraft as sources of spare parts and engine donors to maintain its own MiG-29s. Despite this, Stoyanov angered opposition members by stating that Bulgaria’s airspace should be defended by its own pilots, rather than focusing all resources solely on assisting Ukraine.

In response, representatives of the opposition party “Yes, Bulgaria” staged a protest outside the Ministry of Defense building, placing an old “Moskvich” car there. Politicians accused the government of turning the army into a “warehouse of obsolete Soviet junk” instead of systematically transitioning to modern Western-style fighter jets.

As of August 2, Poland had not made a final decision regarding the transfer of MiG-29s to either Bulgaria or Ukraine. Previously, Warsaw had considered the option of exchanging the fighter jets for Ukrainian drones and the technology to produce them; therefore, negotiations with Kyiv remain a priority for the Polish side.

Source: BTA.

Negotiations between Ukraine and Poland regarding the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets gained momentum after Kyiv officially confirmed its interest in the aircraft.

In Poland, Ukrainian workers are increasingly being replaced by workers from Asia and Latin America.