Is it true that Bulgaria's new military aid to Ukraine includes about 100 armoured personnel carriers (APC) that belong to Fire Safety and Civil Protection Chief Directorate and that their donation will hinder rescue operations of distressed Bulgarian nationals during disasters and accidents? No, that's not true: The soon to be donated APCs, produced in the 1960s and 1970s, are from the Ministry of Interior (MOI)'s warehouses, not from the army's reserves, and were never used. The vehicles were acquired a long time ago by the Internal Forces (today's gendarmerie) and have never been part of the MOI operational and rescue capabilities.
The claim originated in a TikTok video (archived here) published on July 16, 2023. It opened:
Just to remind you that these 100 armored personnel carriers, which the government will give to Ukraine, are needed to protect the civilians in times of disasters and accidents. The machines are in a very good condition. In recent years, these APCs saved dozens of people. This is an undeniable fact. Let me ask you something. How did these 100 APCs get on Zelensky's list? Who gave him this information? These APCs are part of Bulgaria's national security. In addition, in floods and heavy snows, how will we save our own people, how will we transport the injured, the pregnant women and those on hemodialysis from the affected areas? Will Zelensky come to save us?
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Jul 18 19:47:45 2023 UTC)
On July 13, 2023, a draft resolution was submitted to the National Assembly for new military aid to Ukraine, which will include about 100 APCs. Social media posts in Bulgaria shared the false claim that the vehicles have been used by the Bulgarian Fire Safety and Civil Protection Chief Directorate and that that will affect the rescue operations of civilians in times of disasters and accidents.
Military experts and the Minister of Defence stated that the APCs in question have been stored in the warehouses of the MOI without being used for the last 25 years and that they have never been part of MOI's operational and rescue capabilities. The members of Parliament propose to provide them to Ukraine, as they do not serve the current needs of the gendarmerie they belong to. The APCs were produced between the 1960s and 1970s: Some are not functional and need to be repaired or used for spare parts. Every year, serious funds are spent on the storage and maintenance of these armoured vehicles, which will now be used more effectively in the MOI budget.
