Bulgarian arms worth billions of dollars entered Ukraine through other countries in the past two years without Ukraine and Bulgaria even having to agree to a single direct deal, even before the war, reported from EURACTIV.

"Bulgarian arms companies do not sell weapons and ammunition directly to Ukrainian companies because there is a practice for this to happen through foreign programs,” Velizar Shalamanov, former acting defense minister, former chairman of the Supervisory Board of the NATO Communications and Information Agency, and now director at the Atlantic Club told EURACTIV Bulgaria.

"There is a program with good funding in Great Britain, the United States and Poland. Through this program, the armaments needed for Ukraine are bought, that is, the money is not Ukrainian but British, American, Polish or European. That is why it is bought through other companies. In addition, logistics is important, and as we all know, it is mainly organized through Poland and is the responsibility of those companies that buy from the Bulgarian market,” Shalamanov explained.

Last year alone, Bulgaria exported indirectly at least $1 billion in arms to Ukraine, EURACTIV sources comment.

The arms export permits issued by the state during this time added up to a total of €1.1 – €1.3 billion.

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