On the 8th July 2016, Bulgaria has received first 2 Klimov RD-33 engines for its MiG-29 fighters, which were overhauled by Polish military overhaul facilities. They were delivered to the Graf Ignatievo air base. This statement was released by Bulgarian defense minister Nikolay Nenchev, as an answer to the defense committee, says BGNES agency.

It has also became known, that Bulgarian defense ministry has received a note, about two more RD-33 finishing their overhaul, on 15^th July 2016. Currently, the overhaul facilities has started works on last two (5^th and 6^th) Bulgarian engines, which are included in the deal between Bulgaria and Poland. They will be delivered to Bulgaria before the end of 2016, confirmed Nikolay Nenchev.

The minister also noted, that at the end of December 2015, two Polish RD-33 were delivered to Graf Ignatievo AB, which Warsaw provided to Sofia on temporary basis. It was agreed, that they will not be used for more than 200 engine hours or 2 years.

Earlier this week, Nikolay Nenchev has announced, that during the last month Bulgarian AF has detected 10 violations of their NATO airspace zone of responsibility by Russian aircraft. In each such case, Bulgarian AF MiG-29´s had to intercept them, which decreases their flight resources. Russian representatives had declined this accusation.

After the visit of NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg to Sofia in January 2015, the Bulgarian government announced, that they will not renew the contract with Russia for the maintenance of their MiG-29 fighters of Russian/soviet origin, and whose service life should end in September 2015. Bulgaria has decided to award Polish state-owned maintenance factories WZL-2 and WZL-4 with the contract for their servicing.

The management of RSK MiG has officially acknowledged Bulgarian government, that Poland doesn´t have license for maintenance of Bulgarian MiG-29´ s and in the case of their servicing in Polish facilities, Russian company will consider Bulgarian MiG-29´s as defective and will decline any responsibility for their further exploitation. RSK MiG has also announced, that they may discontinue the supplies of the spare parts to the Polish companies, if they continue to use them for overhaul of 3^rd party´s aircrafts. Meanwhile, WZL-2 director for production and maintenance Zbignew Matushchak has announced, that factory will service the engines according to their “own elaborated documentation”, and doesn´t need Russian license.