Russia fumes at Bulgaria for barring Syria-bound flights

MOSCOW — A senior Russian diplomat says Bulgaria's refusal to let Russian cargo planes bound for Syria to fly over its territory raises questions about its independence.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday the country is refusing to allow Russian military transport aircraft to fly through its airspace en route to Syria from Sept. 1-24. It said without elaboration the reason for the refusal was "incorrect information" about the purpose of the flights and the cargo.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov alleged that Bulgaria made the move under pressure from Washington. He said Bulgaria's decision "raises a question about its sovereign right to make decisions about planes crossing its airspace," according to the Interfax news agency.

Signs of an ongoing Russian military buildup in Syria have drawn U.S. concerns.

In Other News

Rollback of DOD anti-extremism efforts coming in 2025, experts predict

The piecemeal progress of extremism-prevention efforts during the past four years is more than can be expected out of the Pentagon in 2025, experts said.

From Grinch greetings to Santa sightings, the holidays come to troops

Holiday helpers have been busy, as plenty of organizations and individuals have been working to make the days a bit brighter for troops and their families.

Will most troops move under new household goods program in 2025?

More than half of installations in the continental United States are moving troops' shipments under the new system.

VA to resume new electronic health record rollout in mid-2026

The project was scheduled to take 10 years and cost $16 billion. Nearly eight years later, only six of VA’s 170-plus medical sites are using the software.

Suicides among veterans remain unchanged despite federal focus

The figures are the latest available from federal census data and suggest limited progress on the issue of suicide prevention by Veterans Affairs leaders.

Load More