site.bta10,000-Plus Hail Cells Treated Since April 14

Since April 14, a total of 10,037 hail cells have been treated and a total of 11,857 rockets have been launched, up by 2,225 from the like period of 2022, said Valeri Tsenov, head of the Hail Suppression Agency, speaking at a regional centre in the southern village of Golyam Chardak, Plovdiv region.

Tsenov said that the Agency has enough rockets to continue its operation. He said that under a contract with a supplier, the rockets can be delivered within days. 

The country has 263 launch pads and each has 28 rockets on average. 

The Agency has 11 regional directorates in Vidin, Montana, Pleven, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv (2), Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Sliven and Tazha. They are the command centres from where decisions are made about how the hail cell will be treated. Nearly 300 rockets were launched on Thursday alone in the southern regions of Haskovo, Stara Zagora and Sliven, he added.

The launch pads have been located according to the possibilities and the places where crops have to be protected. “Our aim is to protect crops and not people’s houses,” said Tsenov.

He said that the Agency can expand its operation if additional funding is provided.