Why did US refuelling aircraft abruptly leave Bulgaria? ‘Iranian threat or Russian plane?’

Days after Iran issued a threat, Bulgaria said on Saturday that two US KC-135 tankers stationed at its Bezmer Air Base have been removed. The refuelling aircraft had arrived at the Bulgarian Air Force airbase last month to provide support for operations in the Middle East. The arrival of the aircraft had drawn complaints not only from Iran but also from Bulgarian residents.

Despite Sofia insisting that the aircraft was in the country only for training missions in allied airspace, Iran has warned that it was considering attacks on U.S. assets in Bulgaria and Cyprus if tensions with Washington escalate again. Tehran, however, was furious, accusing Bulgaria of becoming complicit in what it called aggression and war crimes. Soon, reports emerged that Iran was considering targeting U.S. assets in southeastern Europe, specifically naming Bulgaria and Cyprus.

However, on Sunday Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the two KC-135 tankers were moved Friday to an unspecified destination. He stated that their mission in Bulgaria has finally ended and added that during their stay in our country they did not fly to the conflict zone in the Persian Gulf, but only over the airspace of allied countries. "Yesterday, the US Air Force planes and tankers left Bezmer base and flew out of Bulgaria. We worked in close coordination with the US government and had preliminary information," he said.

“All flights were conducted for training purposes over the airspace of allied countries - west-northwest. Unlike the exercise, which was conducted with 15 aircraft at Vasil Levski Airport, all flights were for logistical support of combat operations," he said.

Stoyanov assured that there is no information about a direct threat to our national security.

However, the United States has not yet confirmed Bulgaria's announcement.

Meanwhile, many in Bulgaria view the departure of American aircraft as a bag sign for Bulgaria, hinting at Russian involvement in it.  

“It is also a bad sign for our NATO allies,” Reserve Colonel Diman Georgiev told the Bulgarian news website, Faktor.bg.

“Special operations of any army love silence, and this also applies to the US. Instead of silence and security, the presence of American military aircraft in our country has turned into some kind of show - scandals, contradictory statements by politicians, incitement of media tension, fabricated protests by people from the region against the American presence at the military base. On top of all that, a few days ago we allowed a Russian military aircraft to fly over the air base, most likely for reconnaissance purposes. Without a doubt, the Americans do not feel safe in Bulgaria, and that is why they are withdrawing. Has anyone heard of American aircraft in Greece, Poland, Romania and other European countries, and there are some,” the military expert asks rhetorically.