NATO has announced that its 20th multinational emergency management exercise, BULGARIA 2025, will be conducted from 7 to 12 September 2025, hosted by the Republic of Bulgaria.
The exercise is being organised jointly by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and Bulgaria’s Directorate General for Fire Safety and Civil Protection (DG FSCP), according to a NATO press release.
The announcement was originally made in September 2024 by NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Ms. Burcu San, alongside Mr. Aleksandar Dzhartov, Director General for Fire Safety and Civil Protection at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior. The large-scale civil preparedness drill is expected to be one of NATO’s most complex multinational emergency management events to date, involving participants from across the Alliance, partner nations, and international organisations.
The exercise will test and strengthen disaster response coordination, civil-military cooperation, and interoperability across a wide range of emergency scenarios. Key objectives of BULGARIA 2025 include enhancing joint crisis response, increasing resilience, and facilitating the exchange of best practices in disaster management. A NATO-led Core Planning Team made up of experts from 14 countries is shaping the exercise scenario to ensure all participating teams are adequately challenged and involved in meaningful learning.
Following the live exercise, a Lessons Identified Conference will be held in February 2026 to assess outcomes and improve future emergency response efforts. NATO emphasises that the exercise reflects participant priorities and adapts to evolving risks, reaffirming the Alliance’s commitment to collective preparedness in an age of increasingly complex crises.
