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XeAsbe December 529. - page four = submarine basis, With neighboring Constanta, on the Rumanian . coast, Varna is regularly used by Russian units operating in the Black Sea, Top secret surrounds the work that is carried out, with high pressure, in and around the Black-Sea port of Burgas. Until 1950, Burgas was merely a harbor for fisherboats and coasting trede. Throughout 1951 and the first half of 1952, it wes developed to a point, where today xkxka unite of the Soviet and the Bulgar Navy can be regularly seen, anchoring at its docks. ‘Since early sumer, the eíty of Burgas has been placed off limits: it can be visited only with special authorization. People living in the surrounding coutryside tell about importent fortification and eqgipement work carried out in the harbor s, It is also reported that a large | | military airport and underground shelters are under construetion. A new, dovble-track, railroad line will direotly link Burgas to Varna and there make connection with the line, crossing the Dobridja | and continuing on to Galati and Odessa. This project too is advancin The Bulgarian Aif Force finally is composed of two division with a total of 600 planes, and of a reeently organized parashoot-= divisions With the exeeption of 50 old Junker troop transport mx machines, a11 the planes are of Russian fabrication: about 450 of different older types; the remainder entirely new fighter planes, as used by the Soviet Air Force, The ground organization is entirely under Soviet controls new air~ports are growing like mushrooms, Especially in the well-protected valleys of the Isker and the Marica rivers ~ the areas of Sofia and Plovdiv,* in the center of the country, along the international railroad line leading to Istambul, = the number of new airfields is impressing, They are conetructed for the landing of even the heaviest bonbers and transport planes. According to one report received by our informaht, in the Sofia«Plovdiv ares. alone, there are to date 17 such new well-equiped airports. The same development shows along the Danube and the Rlack-Sea coast.
