NATO’s multinational forces in Bulgaria anchor the Alliance’s military presence in southeastern Europe.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a NATO multinational battlegroup was formed and led by the Italian Army, with recent troop contributions from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Türkiye. Based in Novo Selo, the group regularly trains in combined arms manoeuvres, learning how to simultaneously use artillery, heavy armour and mechanised infantry to leverage their full combat power. If necessary, it can absorb thousands of additional troops and grow in size to a brigade.
Ready to rapidly deploy and defend the Alliance, the battlegroup is a strong symbol of assurance for Bulgarians and other Allies in NATO’s east, as well as a potent deterrent against aggression.
Bulgaria is also further protected by the new NATO activity ‘Eastern Sentry’, which boosts NATO’s vigilance along its entire eastern flank with more air, land and sea-based military assets. The activity also includes innovative technologies to tackle new challenges, like the ones we see from drones. Additionally, it helps to better connect the military assets that are already available, from the High North to the Black Sea, and elsewhere in the Alliance.
TRANSCRIPT (AUDIO AND TEXT ON SCREEN)
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
Colonel Salvatore Abbate, Italian Army
“It’s even more important to show how NATO nations are able and capable to conduct deterrence and defence along their borders.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
NATO IN BULGARIA
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
Colonel Salvatore Abbate, Italian Army
“Eight different nations expressed cohesion, deploying their units here under the original control of NATO. Our daily activities represent a strong sign of credibility, showing to the whole world what we are able to do if attacked.
Our nations provided us with a full range of combat capabilities, from light to heavy infantry and cavalry. In addition to that, heavy artillery, air defence, combat engineers.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
EIGHT
NATIONS
COMBAT
READY
ON
WATCH
PROTECTING
NATO
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
AND NATO IS STRENGTHENING OUR DEFENCES EVEN FURTHER
MORE JETS AND AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS
PROTECTING AGAINST ANY THREAT COMING FROM THE SKIES
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
Colonel Salvatore Abbate, Italian Army
“Our beautiful host nation, Bulgaria, is important for the Alliance because it’s the very southern part of the NATO eastern flank. And all the way from the Baltic region to Bulgaria, NATO will show their capabilities to deter and defend any possible adversary threat.”
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