Bulgarian Navy to hold two multinational exercises until end-2022

The Bulgarian Navy will hold two more larger exercises with international participation until the end of 2022 with Varna as a host port, the Commander of the Bulgarian Navy, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, told BTA on Friday.

One of the exercises, codenamed "Poseidon", is Bulgarian-Romanian but is open to other countries' navies, too. It is focused on mine countermeasures. The exercise is traditional and is not caused by the war in Ukraine, the rear admiral recalled.

The second exercise, called Triton, is a specialized diver exercise, the Commander explained. Participants will be practising various assignments, including mine destruction.

"The war in Ukraine has radically changed our work and has faced us with new challenges, including the mine hazard," Mihaylov said at a ceremony marking the 143rd anniversary of the Bulgarian Navy. He thanked seamen for their tenacious daily efforts to ensure the safety of shipping and waterways. The rear admiral specified that seamen have already responded to over 40 alerts about floating objects. "We will continue to respond to every alert so that people could be calm and shipping safety guaranteed," he added.