ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

UPDATED: Two pilots killed as military plane crashes while training for air show

Graf Ignatievo Air Base
Photo: BTA

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov has cancelled the air show at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base after an L-39 ZA military transport plane crashed, the Defence Ministry said.

The accident occurred during preparations for tomorrow's demonstrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's accession to NATO. 

The L-39 trainer crashed at the Graf Ignatyevo airbase while performing a complex manoeuvre at extremely low altitude. The two pilots had no reaction time for ejection. They were killed in the crash. An investigation is under way. Measures have been taken to locate the fires and determine the causes of the accident. 

Earlier today, President Rumen Radev took part as co-pilot in a demonstration flight of an F-16 fighter jet at the airbase at the invitation of the US Air Force.

As a sign of respect for the fallen pilots, three days of mourning have been announced in the formations of the armed forces, it was reported.

The L-39 trainer aircraft has been in service in Bulgaria since 1994, when Bulgaria received 36 aircraft from Czechoslovakia, of which only 6 were flying as of 2014. They have been undergoing repairs in the Bulgarian military-industrial complex, BNT reported.

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria News    atanas zapryanov crash graf ignatievo air base military transport plane nato

More from category

Snow, rain and freezing temperatures

Minimum temperatures on Monday will be between minus 4 and 1°C. In Sofia it will be around minus 3°C. The mercury will hover between -3 and 0 °C in the north. Maximum temperatures in southern Bulgaria will be between 2 and 7°C. In the capital it will..

published on 2/16/25 7:05 PM

New Russian emigration in Bulgaria pays tribute to Alexei Navalny

The one-year anniversary of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was marked with a memorial service in Sofia's St Nedelya Cathedral. It was organised by the movement "For a Free Russia" - an association of Russian immigrants in..

published on 2/16/25 5:39 PM

Scientists bring back live fish from Antarctica 

Kristiyan Vladov and Stefan Kyurkchiev of the Plovdiv Museum of Natural History are working on a project to bring live fish from the southern Arctic Circle to Bulgaria . The aim is to create an Antarctic aquarium in Plovdiv, where visitors - from..

published on 2/16/25 2:04 PM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Overcast, rain
Min: 2 | Max: 9
Rain
Min: 2 | Max: 6
Rain / Snow
Min: 0 | Max: 3
Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 4
Snow
Min: -3 | Max: 1
Snow
Min: -1 | Max: 2
Snow
Min: -2 | Max: 1
Wet snow
Min: -4 | Max: 0
Scattered showers
Min: 2 | Max: 5
Overcast, rain
Min: 2 | Max: 9
Snow
Min: -3 | Max: 2
Snow
Min: -3 | Max: 2
Scattered showers
Min: 2 | Max: 5
Cloudy
Min: -1 | Max: 4
Snow
Min: -3 | Max: 1
Scattered showers
Min: 2 | Max: 6
Wet snow
Min: -4 | Max: 0
Wet snow
Min: -3 | Max: 0
Wet snow
Min: -3 | Max: 0
Rain
Min: 1 | Max: 4
Cloudy
Min: -1 | Max: 3
Cloudy
Min: 0 | Max: 5
Scattered showers
Min: 0 | Max: 5
Wet snow
Min: -1 | Max: 1
Rain
Min: 1 | Max: 5
Wet snow
Min: -3 | Max: 1
Rain
Min: 0 | Max: 5
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

Bulgaria's cabinet holds emergency meeting on food prices

Bulgaria’s Premier Rosen Zhelyazkov convened an emergency meeting at the Council of Ministers on Saturday dedicated to the issue of food prices...

published on 2/15/25 1:16 PM

Foreign Minister Georgiev: Schengen membership strengthens our capacity to manage migration

Bulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georg Georgiev, participated in a working breakfast dedicated to addressing illegal migration and its..

published on 2/15/25 11:58 AM

Rumen Radev and Hakan Fidan discuss connectivity between Bulgaria and Türkiye

Expanding connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye is an investment in the development of the entire region, President Rumen Radev said at a meeting..

published on 2/15/25 5:09 PM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"