H.E. Rumen Radev

Rumen Radev was born on June 18, 1963 in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. In 1982, he graduated from the Mathematics School in Haskovo with a gold medal. He graduated from the Bulgarian Air Force University “Georgi Benkovski” in 1987 as the top graduate. In 2003, he graduated with honors from Air War College in Maxwell AFB in the United States as a Master of Strategic Studies. He is a Doctor of Military Sciences in the field of improvement of tactical training of flight crew and simulation of air combat.

His military career started as a junior pilot in a Fighter Aviation Regiment in Ravnets. From 2005 to 2009, he was commander of the Third Fighter Airbase–Graf Ignatievo. Then for five years he worked as Bulgarian Air Force deputy commander and from 2014 to 2016 he was commander of The Bulgarian Air Force.

He won Bulgaria’s 2016 Presidential elections. Radev stood for President at the invitation of the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist.