News

The operation will be carried out tomorrow

The hydraulic system of the motor vessel KAIROS has been successfully brought into working mode, and the tanker is prepared for towing to a safe location in the Bay of Burgas. The activities were carried out today in execution of the approved plan for securing the ship and under the supervision of the Executive Agency "Maritime Administration".

The execution of the approved operational plan for securing and subsequently towing the tanker KAIROS is commencing. It was prepared jointly by the Executive Agency "Maritime Administration" and the operation's contractor, BMF TUG Service.

This morning, an emergency marine generator with a capacity of 150 kW, intended to restore the operation of the tanker's anchoring equipment, was delivered to the port of Burgas. The generator will be loaded onto a workboat along with the necessary power supply equipment and mooring lines.

The operation to tow the tanker "Kairos", located in the Ahtopol area, is proceeding according to schedule and without delay. The government approved a decision today via written procedure to secure the 1.2 million BGN necessary for the execution of the activities. A contract with the contractor is due to be signed by the end of the day.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadzhov, has sent an official letter to the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, in connection with the complicated situation at the border checkpoints between Bulgaria and Greece caused by blockades by Greek farmers.

The tanker "Kairos" is in a stable position, there is no environmental pollution, and preparations are set to begin for moving it to a safe location. This was stated by the Director of the Executive Agency "Maritime Administration"-Burgas, Zhivko Petrov, following the initial inspection of the ship carried out today. 

Today, inspectors from the "Maritime Administration" and a Border Police team boarded the ship for a preliminary check. The inspection confirmed earlier reports of serious damage to the stern of the vessel.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadzhov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georg Georgiev, held a meeting today with the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Bulgaria, Mehmet Uyanık, regarding the incident involving the tanker KAIROS, which has been anchored near Ahtopol since Friday.

Three of the ten-member crew of the motor vessel Kairos were successfully evacuated during a joint operation today between the Executive Agency "Maritime Administration" and the Navy. This was announced by the Director General of the Directorate for Emergency and Rescue Activities at the Executive Agency "Maritime Administration," Rumen Nikolov, at a briefing today with the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov.

The ten-member crew of the motor vessel Kairos, located in Bulgaria's territorial waters near Ahtopol, is well. They have food and water for several days, and Bulgarian authorities are in contact with them. The ship, sailing under the flag of Benin, is empty and has no cargo on board. The ship does not pose a danger to the environment. This was announced by Rumen Nikolov, Director General of the Directorate for Emergency and Rescue Activities at the Executive Agency "Maritime Administration," at a briefing earlier today.

The Executive Agency "Maritime Administration," together with the General Directorate "Border Police" and the Navy, are carrying out an operation to rescue a vessel that has entered the territorial waters of the Republic of Bulgaria. This is one of the two ships that were hit by drones in the Black Sea two days ago.

Through the consistent efforts of Bulgaria, the Sofia-Skopje railway line has now been included for financing in the Connecting Europe Facility 2028-2034. This is a guarantee for the full completion of the strategic Corridor 8 on Bulgarian territory, stated Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov at a meeting of the Transport Community Council held today in Brussels.

Bulgaria has proposed that the strategic railway section Ruse–Gorna Oryahovitsa be included in the annex of the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2028-2034. At a meeting of the Transport Council today in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov emphasized that the section is key for cross-border connectivity, military mobility, and the development of the European corridor "Baltic Sea – Black Sea – Aegean Sea."

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadzhov, has sent a report to the Prosecutor General regarding circulated video materials showing suspicious actions by employees of the Executive Agency "Automobile Administration" – Kyustendil, during a roadside check.

Three new bridges over the Danube included in the signed action plan between Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania

The Public Transport Act will be further developed with the contribution of municipalities, carriers and consumer organizations. Passengers remains at the center of the law. This is its philosophy and it will not change.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said after a meeting with bus carriers and representatives of consumer organizations during the public discussion of the draft Public Transport Act.

At the beginning of 2026, we will open a procedure for selecting a concessionaire at Plovdiv Airport. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov announced in a discussion on the development of Southern Bulgaria, organized by 24 Chasa Daily in Plovdiv.

Five bids were submitted by two operators under the procedure for carrying out passenger transport by rail. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov announced in Plovdiv. The procedure was opened at the end of August, and the deadline for submitting bids expired yesterday at midnight.

We are making the most important reform in public transport in Bulgaria in half a century. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said at the presentation of the draft Public Transport Act to the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Bulgaria can benefit from and draw on the successful Czech experience in the liberalisation of railway services. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov after his meeting with the Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic, Martin Kupka, in Prague. The two Ministers discussed the development of the railway sector, modernisation, and future reforms in the public transport systems of both countries.

All the new 25 trains will be delivered to Bulgaria until August 2026

The first new electrical train „Škoda“, will arrive in Bulgaria in January 2026, and from April 2026 the train will start to transport passengers. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Grozdan Karadjov has stated this during his visit at the „Škoda“ factory in Pilsen, Czech Republic. He inspected the progress of manufacturing and performed the first test-driving by the already manufactured rail train.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov and H.E. Sayanaa Lkhagvasuren, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Bulgaria, signed the Agreement on International Road Transport of Passengers and Goods and the Agreement on Air Transport. The ceremony took place at the building of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and marked an important stage in the development of transport relations between the two countries.