February 14 (SeeNews) - Spain sent four Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon fighter jets to Bulgaria due to heightening NATO-Russia tensions over the build-up of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine, the Bulgarian defence ministry said.
A total of 130 Spanish servicemen will be deployed in Bulgaria until March 31 to perform enhanced air policing jointly with the Bulgarian Air Force, the defence ministry said in a statement on Friday after the arrival of the fighter jets at Graf Ignatievo air base near Plovdiv, in southern Bulgaria.
The air policing mission will be implemented as part of measures aimed at providing assurance to nations on NATO's eastern flank and will be carried out in compliance with the plans and procedures of NATO's integrated air and missile defence system, the defence ministry said.
Last month, NATO said that it is sending more naval vessels and fighter aircraft and putting new forces on standby to the organisation's deployments in Eastern Europe in order to "enhance deterrence and defence" as Moscow continues its military build-up around Ukraine.