site.btaParticipants in Breeze 2023 Exercise Practice International Cooperation in Crisis Response

The participants in the ongoing Breeze 2023 national naval exercise with international participation practiced international cooperation in crisis response in the Port of Varna and the Varna Bay on October 18, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. The exercises focused on the interaction of the naval forces with partners from government and non-government organizations and institutions.

During Wednesday's demonstrations, a scenario was played out which included a fire on a merchant ship in the port, evacuation of victims and suppression of the fire.

A joint training was also carried out to deal with the consequences of a merchant ship incident in national maritime space, medical consultation and evacuation, as well as rescue of people in distress at sea, in order to build up the necessary capabilities to deal with crises of a non-military nature. 

Twenty-seven government and non-government organizations participated in the Wednesday exercises. Representatives of the EU Maritime Safety Agency participated in some of the episodes.

On October 20, a VIP day will be held during Breeze 2023 with the participation of Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and Deputy Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Mihail Popov.