European Commission President: Bulgaria Supplied a Third of Ukraine’s Weapons at Start of Invasion

Since the start of Russia’s invasion, Bulgaria’s defense industry has produced around one-third of the weapons and ammunition delivered to Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made this statement during a joint appearance with the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

Speaking at VMZ in Sopot – Bulgaria’s largest state-owned defense plant – von der Leyen praised the country’s significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

“At the beginning of the war, a third of the weapons used by Ukraine came from Bulgaria. So first of all, I want to thank you for your unwavering support of our brave neighbor, partner, and future EU member,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

However, this statement should not be taken literally, as the Ukrainian army largely relied on its own stockpiles of weaponry. Most likely, the reference was to a share of the total volume of European military aid, including that financed by other countries.

These words can also be interpreted in the context of supplying artillery ammunition to Ukrainian troops on the front lines, as during the first six months after the full-scale invasion, the army significantly depleted its old Soviet-era reserves.

In both cases, the role of the Bulgarian defense industry – as a European leader in the production of ammunition and Soviet-style weapons – cannot be overstated. The country has been one of the main suppliers of shells for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, tank and mortar ammunition, Grad rocket systems, and grenade launchers.

It is also worth noting the support of the Bulgarian government, which approved the transfer of a large quantity of weapons from its own army’s stockpiles. In particular, this includes tanks, armored personnel carriers, 2S1 self-propelled guns, towed howitzers, and multiple rocket launch systems, as well as a significant amount of crew-served and infantry weapons.

Bulgaria Investing in Defense

The visit of European high-ranking officials to the defense plant in Sopot was dedicated to the Bulgarian government’s intentions to attract funding from the European SAFE program (a €150 billion fund) to develop the VMZ plant in order to scale up ammunition production.

In addition to expanding the production of Soviet-caliber ammunition, there are plans to build another facility for NATO-standard shells, as well as to construct a new gunpowder plant to supply them.

“This is exactly the kind of project we want to see. It will bring good jobs to the region – up to 1,000 new jobs will be created here in Sopot. At the same time, we will increase ammunition production, strengthen our collective security, and deepen cooperation with NATO. We will support the brave Armed Forces of Ukraine. Across Europe, we are accelerating ammunition production, because the times we live in demand it,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

The President of the European Commission emphasized that the production capacity of European countries must have reached two million shells by the end of 2025.