Bulgaria blocks Russian jets heading to Syria

NATO member Bulgaria refused permission for Russian aircrafts to cross its airspace last week, amid growing fears that Moscow is bolstering Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s military might.

“The planes were said to carry humanitarian aid but we had information, that we had every reason to trust, that the declared cargo was not the real one,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Betina Zhoteva told AFP.

Zhoteva said the decision was taken late last week but did not give details about the number of the planes.

She said the decision was taken independently without pressure from NATO partners.