Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior says it needs to buy special aircraft to fight fires as part of the 2027 budget. Officials have not yet decided which specific projects will get the money. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev shared this during a parliamentary session.

Donev was answering a question from Lyuben Ivanov of the Democratic Bulgaria party. Ivanov asked if the 2027 budget includes money to buy aircraft to fight forest fires. Donev said President Rumen Radev has been asking for years to build the country's own ability to fight fires and other disasters.

„The government's commitment to this priority is long-term and is not just about a final sum in the budget, but aims to build a lasting capacity for growth,“ the finance minister said. He added that officials are now collecting and discussing budget requests for 2027. He gave early details on investment projects from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence to help with fire response.

Donev said the Ministry of Interior has asked for money for the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate to buy transport and fire-fighting gear in stages. This includes aircraft. The requested items are:

  • 4 helicopters to fight forest fires that can carry at least 3 tonnes of water, costing around 143.2m euros
  • 1 helicopter to fight fires that can carry 1 tonne of water, costing around 23m euros
  • 2 planes to fight forest fires, costing around 59.3m euros.

The finance minister said the Ministry of Defence has also asked for money for key investment projects. These are being looked at to help the state respond to fires and disasters. The Ministry of Defence is looking into buying small planes and gear for aerial firefighting. It plans to spend 12m euros each year for the next three years.

The ministry also needs money to keep Cougar helicopters flying and to buy engines for them. The plan is to spend 13.6m euros in 2027, and 3.6m euros each year in 2028, 2029, and beyond. Another major project is to improve support for Spartan planes in the air force. This would cost 14.2m euros each year for the next three years.

Donev said this information shows the investment projects at this stage of the budget process. The final decision on how much these projects will cost and how they will be paid for will be in the 2027 state budget draft.