Bulgaria Prepares to Host NATO Disaster Exercise

In September 2025, Bulgaria will host NATO’s 20th civil emergency response exercise. These exercises are among the world’s largest and most complex training events in disaster response and the management of complex emergencies.

NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Burcu San, and the Director General for Fire Safety and Civil Protection at the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria, Aleksandar Dzhartov, have announce the exercise at NATO Headquarters.

Organised by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), the exercise will bring together Allies and partners, as well as other international organizations. Participants will be confronted with scenarios that include natural and industrial disasters, hybrid threats, and complex emergencies. They will be able to test procedures related to the coordination of different activities and logistical support. Exercises like this help to gauge the ability of personnel from different countries to work effectively alongside each other, promote cooperation between civilian and military actors involved in disasters response, and build up the ability of Allies and partners to tackle complex and interconnected security threats. This is essential to building resilience and to preparing for potential challenges, including those related to climate change.

The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) is NATO’s principal civil emergency response mechanism. It is available to all Allies and partner countries and can support them with both response and preparedness for natural and human-made disasters and other emergencies.