Parliament of Bulgaria approves giving Ukraine long-range missiles that need refurbishing

The parliament of Bulgaria voted in favor of sending long-range S-300 missiles to Ukraine, as part of a military aid package. Specifically, Bulgaria plans to give Ukraine its stock of defective 5V55-series missiles compatible with the Soviet-era S-300 launchers.

Chairman of Bulgaria’s Revival party Kostadin Kostadinov told the Russian news agency TASS about the decision.

In the course of deliberations broadcast live on the parliament’s website, the legislators said that while Bulgaria doesn’t have the means of refurbishing its defective munitions, Ukraine has declared its readiness to make use of such weaponry.

Russia has already objected to this move, insisting that Bulgaria is violating its past arms-control guarantees by transferring long-range missiles to Ukraine. “The transfer of these weapons to the combat zone in Ukraine will inevitably lead to additional escalation and loss of innocent human lives,” the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said in a statement.

The S-300 is still considered one of the more powerful anti-aircraft missile systems in active use. 

Russia is urging Bulgaria to reconsider this decision.