They slipped up!
US troops with guns drawn accidentally raided a sunflower oil factory in Bulgaria during a bungled military drill last month.
The US government is now trying to explain what went wrong after Bulgaria raised diplomatic questions and the factory’s owner said he’ll sue.
“We sincerely apologize to the business and its employees,” the US Embassy in Bulgaria said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We always learn from these exercises and are fully investigating the cause of this mistake,” the statement added.
“We will implement rigorous procedures to clearly define our training areas and prevent this type of incident in the future.”
The embassy first learned of the incident on May 28, the statement said. The factory’s owner Marin Dimitrov told reporters Wednesday that he had filed a lawsuit, The Associated Press said.
The mistake happened in a NATO military exercise. KIM Engineering CCTV via APMembers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade were simulating the seizing and securing of a decommissioned airfield in Cheshnegirovo. It was part of a Swift Respons 2021, an exercise held in Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania that involved troops from 10 NATO countries, according to The Associated Press.
The training in Bulgaria involved entering buildings and bunkers across the airfield.
But on May 11, troops went into a building near the airfield they thought was part of the training but was actually a functioning private business.
“No weapons were fired at any time during this interaction,” the statement said.
The troops thought the factory was actually part of the training when it was just a private business. KIM Engineering CCTV via APBut Bulgarian President Rumen Radev criticized the mistake, saying it put “the life and calm” of Bulgarian citizens at risk.
“Exercises in Bulgarian territory involving our Allies should boost the sense of security and trust in collective defense, instead of causing tension among Bulgarians,” he said.
Video of the event shows at least three soliders in full gear with guns drawn walking into the plant. They pass a sitting civilian in the silent footage – and he doesn’t seem panicked as the armed soldiers walk by.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev was not pleased with the error from the troops. KIM Engineering CCTV via APLater, seven soldiers are seen leaving after they apparently realize their mistake.
The footage, posted to Twitter by journalist Dilyana Gaytandzhieva, appeared to be authentic, government officials told the military publication Stars and Stripes.
With Post wires.
