Greece will deploy military assets and personnel to help protect Bulgaria following a request from Sofia, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias announced after a new conversation with his Bulgarian counterpart Atanas Zapryanov.
Dendias said Greece agreed to provide support after the Bulgarian side submitted a formal request the previous day.
Following a decision by the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA), Greece will deploy a Patriot missile system battery within the next few hours to a suitable location in northern Greece. The system will provide anti-ballistic coverage for a large part of Bulgarian territory.
The defence minister added that a pair of F‑16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets will also relocate to an airport in northern Greece with the exclusive mission of providing additional coverage for Bulgaria.
To ensure effective coordination, Greece will send two senior officers from the Hellenic Air Force to the operations centre of the Bulgarian armed forces in Sofia.
Dendias emphasised that the measures followed a request from Bulgaria, which is a member of both the NATO and the European Union, and stressed that Greece’s own anti-ballistic defence capabilities will not be affected.
The Greek defence minister also confirmed that he will visit Sofia next week after receiving an invitation from his Bulgarian counterpart.
