Naval Exercise "Asparuh 2025" Tests Preparedness in Burgas

The readiness of state institutions and civil organizations to react in the event of a severe maritime incident will be tested during a large-scale exercise to be held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, on the territory of the Port of Burgas. Under the code name "Asparuh 2025", the operation will simulate a complex scenario for disaster management in the open sea and the subsequent handling of the crisis situation on land.

Goals of the exercise

The central event of the exercise will take place at berth 7, where a full-scale maritime search and rescue operation will be simulated. The goal is to check the effectiveness of coordination between different departments and agencies, as well as to assess their ability to act quickly and harmoniously in real conditions. Such exercises are of key importance for improving crisis response mechanisms, especially in an area with intense maritime traffic like the Black Sea coast.

Participating institutions and organizations

The exercise will involve representatives of key ministries and structures, demonstrating inter-agency cooperation:

• Ministry of Interior (MoI), with the directorates:
  • Regional Directorate of "Fire Safety and Population Protection" (RD FSPP) - Burgas
  • Regional Directorate of the MoI (RD MoI) - Burgas
  • General Directorate of "Border Police" (GDBP)
  • Directorate of "National System 112" (DNS 112)
• Ministry of Defence (MoD), with teams from the Naval Forces (NF)
• Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), with the participation of:
  • Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC)
  • Rescue vessels "Black Sea"
  • Directorate of "Maritime Administration" (DMA) – Burgas
  • State Enterprise "Port Infrastructure" (SEPI)
• The National Board for Investigation of Accidents in Air, Water, and Rail Transport (NBIAWART)

Partnership with civil society

Non-governmental and humanitarian organizations will also be on site to assist the operations. The Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) will provide triage for the injured, as well as psychological and logistical support. Emergency Medical Care Centers (EMCC) will be responsible for providing medical assistance and transporting the injured to medical facilities. The teams will be joined by the Municipality of Burgas and Volunteer Formation A-16-01, which emphasizes the importance of the partnership between the state and civil society during crises.

The holding of this large-scale exercise is in direct accordance with the "National Plan for Search and Rescue in the Bulgarian Maritime Search and Rescue Area of Responsibility". The event demonstrates that the country maintains a high degree of readiness to deal with emergency situations in maritime conditions through the joint participation of all specialized forces and means that can be mobilized.