Italian soldiers in Bulgaria for NATO drill

More than 700 Italian soldiers and military personnel have been deployed to Bulgaria's Novo Selo military range to take part in the international NATO battle group formed at the beginning of the year in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Christopher Cavoli attended a ceremony at the military range to mark the deployment.

The establishment of a combat-capable battle group on Bulgarian territory signals NATO's resolve to strengthen its defence posture along the South Eastern flank. Italy will officially assume the role of Framework Nation for the NATO battle group while Bulgaria remains the Host Nation.