Minister Georgi Peev: Zero doubts regarding the Russian aircraft over Bulgaria

Why did a Russian aircraft fly over Bulgaria?

Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev firmly defended the decision to allow the Russian Il-76 aircraft to fly through Bulgarian airspace. According to him, the flight was carried out for a purely humanitarian purpose – to assist in extinguishing forest fires in Serbia.

Anyone who wants to find a conspiracy can always find one. We have granted all necessary permits in an adequate and correct manner.

Key facts regarding the case:

• Humanitarian mission: The aircraft belongs to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation and is approved for firefighting.
• Strict control: The permit was issued jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Aviation Administration, and the flight plan was approved by Eurocontrol in Brussels.
• No deviations: The Minister denied reports of trajectory deviations, emphasizing that such a scenario would trigger Air Policing procedures.
• Zero doubt: Peev rejected speculations about intelligence activities, describing them as "conspiracy theories".

The aircraft has permission to fly in both directions, and its return flight is pending upon completion of the mission.