site.btaUPDATED Days of Mourning Declared in Dolna Mitropolia, Razlog, Lom Municipalities in Memory of Two Pilots Who Died in Line of Duty

Days of mourning have been declared on the territory of the municipalities of Dolna Mitropolia (North Bulgaria) and Razlog (Southeast Bulgaria) and Lom (on the Danube) in memory of the military pilots Major Petko Dimitrov and First Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin, who died in the line of duty after their aircraft crashed near the Graf Ignatievo Air Base while practicing for an air show.

Dolna Mitropolia is home of an Air Base where the two pilots served. Mayor Polya Tsonovska has issued an order on Friday, declaring September 13-15 days of mourning, when public celebrations and joyful rituals are prohibited.  

"Shockingly, two top pilots from the [Dolna Mitropolia Air] Base died within seconds. At first I didn't want to believe it was our pilots from the Base. We immediately declared mourning. From now on, we will comply with the rituals of the military unit and will coordinate our actions," Tsonovska told BTA. She added that she had seen Major Dimitrov on various occasions. First Lieutenant Dunkin graduated in 2020, and Tsonovska attended his ceremony where he was promoted in rank together with then defence minister Krassimir Karakachanov. "He was a young hope, an outstanding patriot, very ambitious," the Mayor added.

On Friday, an L-39 ZA combat trainer crashed while preparing for a demonstration flight at Graf Ignatievo Air Base. The two pilots, Major Petko Dimitrov and Senior Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin, from the 12th Air Base in Dolna Mitropolia, were killed.  

A day of mourning has also been declared on Saturday in the Municipality of Razlog (Southwest Bulgaria), where First Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin was born.

Lom Mayor Tsvetan Petrov has declared Saturday a day of mourning in memory of the perished pilots. Although born in Burgas (on the Black Sea), Major Petko Dimitrov moved to Lom with his parents and went to high school there.  

Three-day mourning has been declared in the Armed Forces on the orders of caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov due to the airplane crash.