ANKARA
Russian aircraft heading for Syria have been refused permission to use Bulgaria's air space because of concerns the planes were carrying weapons, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The military cargo planes were designated as carrying humanitarian aid but in a statement Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev said intelligence suggested the aircraft were carrying arms.
Russia is an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and media reports have indicated the Kremlin is providing military support to his regime.
Nenchev said the intelligence was provided by Bulgarian and other intelligence services.
In a statement on its website, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that flights planned between Sept. 1 and 24 had been denied permission to fly over Bulgaria.
“The reason for the refusal is associated with incorrect information in the requests to fly over the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria regarding the purpose of the flights and the cargo,” the statement said.
