"We estimate that one-third of the ammunition needed by Ukraine in the first phase of the war came from Bulgaria," Petkov told the German daily Die Welt.Įven after the fall of Petkov's short-lived cabinet last June, indirect arms sales continued. Shortly after the invasion began, pro-European then-premier Kiril Petkov walked a tightrope to try to help Kyiv. Parliament so far has authorised only one shipment of light arms and ammunition to Kyiv. The Socialists - the successors to the old communist party - and the ever-rising ultra-nationalists are firmly against as the country gears up for the fifth election in two years next month. Supplying arms to Ukraine is an extremely sensitive issue in Bulgaria. ![]() Breton's visit was not open to the media. The state-owned plant has a new production line for the 155 mm artillery shells that Ukraine's army needs. Up the road from Kazanlak in Sopot, Breton visited the country's biggest arms maker, VMZ. Nor did its reticence stop EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton from starting a tour last week of European arms makers in Bulgaria. "Everything that is built is bought," real estate agent Teodor Tenev told AFP.īulgaria specialises in ammunition for Soviet-era weapons - those most used by Kyiv - though it wants to modernise its ageing production facilities with European money to start churning out NATO-standard shells and other ammo.Īnd there was more good news on that front Monday when European Union foreign ministers agreed on a two-billion-euro plan that included jointly purchasing desperately needed artillery shells for Ukraine.Įven though it stands to vastly benefit from the deal, Sofia sought to save its diplomatic blushes by not signing the joint declaration. "Last year, Kazanlak had the lowest unemployment rate in the country after Sofia," he added, half the national average. Kazanlak and the "Valley of the Roses" around it, which is also famous for its rosewater, suffered badly when its arms makers lost their markets when the Soviet bloc collapsed in 1989, though conflicts in the Middle East revived demand for their cheap and sturdy weapons, like the AR-M1, the "Bulgarian Kalashnikov" rifle, in the 2010s.Īrsenal's upturn "benefits the whole town", Yordan Ignatov, deputy chair of the local chamber of commerce, said. Its arms and munitions are instead being bought up by neighbouring Romania and Poland before being funnelled to Kyiv. While you might think it would be trumpeting its success from the rooftops, the company did not reply to AFP requests for an interview.Īlthough Bulgaria itself has largely not sent arms to Ukraine because of the EU member's historic ties with Moscow, that is where Kazanlak's burgeoning production is mostly destined. "I have only been here a week myself, but I already have three new colleagues," said the woman, who would not give her name. ![]() "When they hired us they said there's orders to keep us busy for at least five years," one of the newly hired workers told AFP at the factory gates. It has even been tempting back Bulgarians who left the Balkan country to find work abroad. The country's oldest arms maker Arsenal, which already employs 7,000 workers in its Kazanlak plant, is offering seaside holidays and other incentives to attract staff. With its huge munitions factories and endless rose fields, Kazanlak in central Bulgaria has been really living up to its "Guns and Roses" nickname since Moscow invaded Ukraine.īulgaria's booming arms industry has never had it so good, with exports estimated at $4.3 billion last year (about four billion euros) - three times its previous record. ![]() Rocket propelled grenades and refiles made by Bulgarian arms makers Arsenal AFP
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