Up to 150 U.S. troops and military equipment will be arriving in Bulgaria this week. The US military will participate in joint training with the Bulgarian Armed Forces, the defense ministry said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
According to the Euractiv website, the minister also mentioned, that the joint military formation will conduct training at the military range in Novo Selo. No more than 1,000 people will exercise at a time, 70-80% of whom will be Bulgarian soldiers. The US squad will have up to 15 armored vehicles.
Read more: British and US Paratroopers Prepare for a Massive Jump into Eastern Europe – Media
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Holds a Press Conference at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium
At a conference held by NATO Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on February 17 in Brussels, the official said the measures intend to reinforce NATO's readiness to deter any possible aggression from Russia:
"Mr. Putin says that he doesn't want a strong NATO on his western flank. He's getting exactly that," stressed Lloyd Austin. He said the US forces in Bulgaria will "help ensure our readiness and our interoperability with Bulgaria as our NATO ally."
The National Security Advisory Council in Bulgaria concluded on February 16 that the Bulgarian army does not have the weapons, equipment, or people to meet the risks arising from the Ukraine crisis, conflicts in the Middle East and Asia, international terrorism, and migrant flows.
As a reminder, Russia has amassed over 150,000 troops around the Ukrainian border, threatening a possible invasion. The menacing actions have already received answers – along with the diplomatic ones, NATO has deployed some of its forces to Eastern Europe to bolster its eastern flank.
Read more: Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade Conducts a Joint Battle Staff Training
