Bulgaria’s authorities have confirmed the death of the forty seven-year-old military pilot Valentin Terziev, who was piloting the MiG-29 fighter aircraft that crashed into the Black Sea near cape Shabla. "Unfortunately, we lost a very experienced pilot", Bulgaria’s caretaker Minister of Defense Georgi Panayotov said for bTV.
The search for the plane's black box continues. According to Minister Panayotov, the black box will be destroyed by seawater, if not found in the next four days. Allied countries have offered assistance to Bulgaria, added Minister Panayotov.
The Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jet crashed near Shabla during a military exercise. Major Valentin Terziev was among the most experienced aces at Graf Ignatievo air base.