Bulgaria
Problem statement
There is a significant amount of obsolete, unstable, deteriorated and otherwise unserviceable ammunition left in Bulgaria. Ammunition surplus poses a direct danger to the local population and needs to be demilitarized. Numerous Unplanned Explosions on Munitions Sites (UEMS) have affected Bulgaria in recent years and in some areas left the surface, subsurface and some nearby water areas contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO). In 2014 Bulgaria has reported a stockpile of 6,909 cluster munitions and 173,161 submunitions. Under Article 3 of Convention on Cluster Munitions, Bulgaria is required to destroy all its stockpiled cluster munitions as soon as possible, but no later than 1 October 2019.
What we do
Destruction of Surplus Weapons and Ammunition
From 2011 ITF had been provided with funds for assisting in cleaning surface, subsurface and water areas contaminated as a result of UEMS located in Chelopechene, Bulgaria. Vegetations were removed inside ammunition storage area, various types of ammunitions were detected, excavated, identified and handed over to Bulgarian Armed Forces for further disposal. ITF was responsible for managing the project of UXO clearance activities.