site.btaPresident Radev Promotes Servicemen to Senior Officer Ranks

President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Rumen Radev promoted several members of the Armed Forces to senior officer rank at a ceremony on Monday. The President’s Press Secretariat said that these promotions reflect recognition of the officers' exemplary service.

During the ceremony, Radev commended the recipients for their dedication and professional contributions to the development of the Armed Forces.

The President stressed that the appointments come at a time of steady deterioration in the global security environment and growing risks to Bulgaria as a result of the full-scale war near the national borders. In his words, Russia's war against Ukraine, has also brought to the fore a number of new challenges to the security system, ranging from logistics to military training to the massive introduction to the battlefield of new technologies and assets with great asymmetric effect. Radev stressed that this puts new, higher demands on the defence capabilities of the Bulgarian armed forces, the level of interoperability, the modernization processes, the revision of the system of strategic doctrines, as well as on the training of the personnel.

The greatest challenge is the increased demands on the leadership and professional skills of the leadership and command staff of the Bulgarian Army.

The Bulgarian Army faces significant challenges in enhancing the leadership and professional capabilities of its command staff, Radev said.

The Head of State decreed as followed:

- Dismissal of Brigadier General Zdravko Pehlivanov as Director of the Strategic Planning Directorate and his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff. Pehlivanov has been promoted in rank to Major General.

- Appointment of Colonel Ivo Ivanov as Director of the Strategic Planning Directorate and promotion in rank to Brigadier General.

- Appointment of Captain 1st Rank Vanyo Musinski as Deputy Commander of the Navy and promotion in rank to Flotilla Admiral.

- Appointment of Colonel Lyubomir Monov as the Director of the Defence Policy and Planning Directorate and promotion in rank to Brigadier General.

Major General Pehlivanov spoke on behalf of the officers promoted in rank. He said the armed forces remain dedicated to relentlessly tackling challenges and bolstering their reputation both nationally and internationally.