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Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev attended the ceremony for the first officer rank and diploma presentation to the 75th “April - 2026” class of the Georgi Benkovski Air Force Academy.

According to a statement from the Bulgarian Council of Ministers, Radev said in his speech at the ceremony that growing challenges in the security environment and technological developments require Air Force personnel to adapt to new technologies, unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence, space technologies and cyber operations.

Emphasizing that the awarding of an officer rank is not merely a ceremonial procedure but also carries great responsibility, Radev told the graduates that they had taken on the mission of “guaranteeing the air sovereignty of the homeland.”

Radev also thanked the instructors of the Georgi Benkovski Air Force Academy for their work and professionalism in addressing the challenges of the new security environment.

Following the ceremony, Radev visited the International Aviation Training Complex at the Georgi Benkovski Air Force Academy in Pleven. There, he attended the unveiling ceremony of reliefs dedicated to Professor Tsvetan Lazarov and Asen Yordanov, pioneering figures in Bulgarian aeronautical engineering.