The Bulgarian government announced on Friday the construction of a military base with a capacity of up to 5,000 soldiers as part of the strategy to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank initiated after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and expanded after the 2022 invasion.
The base will be located in the Kabile military area, where NATO already has a battle group led by Italy and consisting of approximately 1,200 soldiers.
No information has been provided regarding the start of the construction of this base or when it is expected to be operational, according to EFE.
The new base, intended for joint use by Bulgaria and NATO, will include the Bezmer air base and will host the existing multinational battle group involving troops from the United Kingdom, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania.
The base will have the capacity to accommodate a brigade of about 5,000 soldiers and, if necessary, deploy an entire division, the Ministry of Defense stated in a press release.
"This is a strategic step to strengthen Bulgaria's and NATO's defense capabilities, ensuring a rapid response to a threat," the Bulgarian government declared.
According to the Bulgarian army, the project will bring economic benefits to the region through construction, maintenance, and supply activities.
The investment exceeds 100 million euros, with partial funding coming from NATO.
The future base is located approximately 90 km from Burgas, a city on the Black Sea with an international airport and connected by railway to the capital Sofia and to Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city.
Bulgaria and the United States already have a joint base in Novo Selo, about 150 km from the site of the new NATO base.