PM, Interior Minister Observe Border Police Exercise near Sozopol

Dimitrina Solakova, BTA correspondent Galya Teneva

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov (with sunglasses), Interior Minister Daniel Mitov, and the head of the Ministry's Border Police General Directorate, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov getting acquainted with border control equipment, Sozopol, on the Black Sea, September 19, 2025 (BTA Photo/Hristo Stefanov)

Sozopol, on the Black Sea,

19.09.2025 12:09

(BTA)

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov, and the head of the Ministry's Border Police General Directorate, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, observed the Blue Border exercise on combating cross-border crime at sea on Friday. Four ships and over 80 Border Police officers took part in the exercise near Sozopol.

The exercise is being conducted in Bulgarian territorial waters and aims to demonstrate the interaction between naval, air, and coastal forces in real crisis situations in a maritime environment.

According to the scenario, information has been received that the Magellan 516 is expected to enter Bulgarian waters. Surveillance in the "blue border" component has been intensified and the forces on duty have been put on alert. After the ship fails to respond to signals and calls, a decision is made to send two additional ships to the area – numbers 525 and 524.

The operation involves a helicopter and an Alpha unmanned aerial system, which monitors the ship's movements in real time. According to the scenario, packages are thrown overboard from the Magellan, which are believed to contain drugs. The vessel and its crew are detained.

/RY/