Bulgaria

Defense Minister Atanas Redev announced that Bulgaria is set to acquire five additional IRIS-T air defense systems, with President Rumen Radev clarifying that a deal is expected within the next few weeks. The move follows a maritime incident near the coast that the Bulgarian navy is currently investigating. Two merchant ships were struck in Bulgarian waters; while President Zelensky of Ukraine told Sofia the attack was a Russian operation, Bulgarian authorities currently place the odds of the drones being Russian or Ukrainian at 50/50.

The incident has prompted Deputy President Iliana Iotova to convene the Consultative Council of National Security, though the President himself admitted he was unaware of the attacker's identity. Security remains a domestic friction point: Georgi Gyurov criticized both the Prime Minister and President, arguing that Bulgarian territory is not being adequately protected. Meanwhile, the search for the crew of one sunken vessel has been called off.

Beyond the coast, the domestic news is cooling. Real estate deals have fallen 22% over the last year, suggesting the market is contracting. The Fiscal Council is now advising the government to build more buffers into its budget planning, even as external reports label the country a 'debt outlier' for its low levels of national borrowing. In the courts, the Supreme Judicial Council opted not to punish a judge involved in the 'Drago Kaza' case.