Battle of Bulgaria (Russo-Islamic World War III)

The Battle of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Битката за България) known in Bulgaria as the Patriotic War of the Bulgarian Nation (Bulgarian: Отечествена война на българската нация) and in the Caliphate as Operation Murad I (Arabic: عملية مراد الأول) was fought as part of Turkey and the Caliphate's expansion into the Balkans, to take strategic parts of countries for logistical access to Albania.

In addition, the Caliphate wanted to separate the Muslim-inhabited provinces of Bulgaria, and did not have the intent on conquering all of Bulgaria.

The Turkish government eyed southern Bulgaria, and thus, initiated blitzkrieg bombings of southern Bulgaria.

The European Alliance immediately sent its forces into northern Bulgaria, and conducted operations against the invading Turkish f orces.

Forces from  Romania poured into Bulgaria, Bulgaria was divided into a European-controlled northern and a Caliphate-controlled south.

Bulgaria and the European Alliance both begged for Russia to get involved, to which President Nikolai Bocharov conducted many meetings with European Alliance and Caliphate members.

Bulgarian president Georgi Draganov reminded Moscow of historical and spiritual ties between the two countries.

Within a year, 41% of Bulgaria was conquered by the Caliphate, the Bulgarian government was growing desperate. President Bocharov finally agreed to send peace-keeping forces into Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Nationalist Guard, was the main paramilitary force of Bulgaria, and welcomed the presence of Russian forces.

At first simply a peace-keeping force, Nikolai Bocharov agreed to get more involved. Russian soldiers also provided training for Bulgarian military and paramilitary, and backed Bulgarian attacks against Turkish-occupied non-Muslim provinces.

The governments of Montenegro and North Macedonia also begged both the European Alliance and Russia to send forces into their country. However, they both permitted the Caliphate  access to their airspace, to transport troops and logistical support to Albania.

In the end, Russia, the Caliphate, Bulgaria and the European Alliance agreed on the Bulgaria Resolution, in which, Turkish occupation would withdraw from Bulgaria, but Turkish aerial forces would be able to pass through Bulgarian air space to provide logistical support for the Sultanate of Albania west of Serbia.

Battle of Silistra
Turkish forces took the province of Silistra successfully, and this was one of the few places where the battle actually began. The Caliphate sent a force of 100,000. Due to Silistria's high Muslim population, Turkish and Caliphate were able to defeat lightly-armed Bulgarian troops, and consolidate Caliphate control.

Bulgarian and European Alliance reinforcements failed to take back the city. Due to the Caliphate having a rich economy, Caliphate leaders were able to convince even the Bulgarian Orthodox to support them, and in return, they would be given economic oppurtunities and high perks.

The Principality of Silistra was found, a Bulgarian Muslim principality, however, the Bulgarian government considered this illegitimate.

Battle of Smolyan
The Smolyan Province recieved the brunt of Caliphate attacks. A force of 250,000 Caliphate troops conducted blitzkrieg attacks against Bulgarian forces in Smolyan. The Bulgarian military forces in Smolyan were no match for the advanced Russian weaponry employed by the Caliphate.

European Alliance-backed Bulgarian forces failed to take Smolyan three times. The Caliphate employed the S-600 air defense systems into Smolyan, therefore, European Alliance aerial operations into Smolyan failed massively.

Battle of Ruse
Caliphate forces as well as Bulgarian Muslim vassals had succesfully taken Razgrad, and were now advancing into north-central Bulgaria. Romanian and European Alliance reinforcements were helpless to stop the Caliphate's invasion.

At this point, President Bocharov approved of President Draganov's request for Russian military aid, at this point, the Romanian and Moldovan governments allowed Russian air forces access to their air space to deliver aid to Bulgaria. General Alexander Barinov led the Russian forces in Bulgaria. The Caliphate suffered its largest casuality rate, with the lose of 84 Turkish soldiers and another 90 injured at the hands of Russian-backed Bulgarian military and paramilitary.

However, Russia was still an ally of the Caliphate, and sold Sultan Raim of Turkey and Vizier Qarim Abu-Hussein that Russia would do its best to avoid direct collisions with Caliphate forces, Sultan Raim and Vizier Abu-Hussein both stated that they understood Russia's position well. Russian forces arrived in Ruse, to re-inforce the Bulgarian forces with training, material and logistical support. Russian aerial bombardments also decimated Bulgarian Islamic vassal armies in the Ruse province.

Within a month of fighting, Caliphate-friendly Bulgarian vassal armies fled into Razgrad.

Battle of Razgrad
The joint-Bulgarian and Russian offensives continued into Razgrad. The European Alliance tried to convince Russia to cease their airstrikes in Bulgaria, however Bulgarian president Georgi Draganov told European Alliance that Russian involvement was working. Eventually, the European Alliance changed its stance andand stated that it would permit Russia to continue laser and air strikes in Bulgaria, not wanting to lose Bulgaria.

Bulgarian and Russian forces again, destroyed pro-Caliphate forces in Razgrad, within another month of fighting, thanks to also being outnumbered, Bulgarian Islamic vassal armies fled into Silistra.

In addition, thanks to Russian backing, Bulgarian forces clashed with Turkish and Caliphate forces themselves.

Caliphate heavy military equipment (which in of themselves, are Russian equipment) were captured by Bulgarian forces, which were sent back to Russia for repair, for re-use. At this point, the Bulgarian military finally got access to Russia's sophisticated weaponry.

Similar to Syria's Idlib Province, Russia and the Caliphate agreed to establish buffer zones in Silistra, home to a mixed Bulgarian Orthodox and Muslim population. Military police from both nations were deployed to the area to ensure stability between the Muslim and Bulgarian Orthodox population.

Russia and the Caliphate also agreed to a ceasefire in Smolyan. However, although Russia herself did not attack Smolyan, it underwent constant siege by Bulgarian paramilitary, who were trained by Russian soldiers.

Caliphate Vassals in Bulgaria
A couple Islamic vassal states were established. Although at first, they were secular vassals, with freedom of religion, that served the Caliphate, Shariah Law and Islam was soon introduced.

In the Principality of Smolyan, Prince Murad Karimov declared Islam the state religion, and began an active pogrom to convert the area's large atheist and agnostic population to Islam.

The Royal Smolyan Forces (Bulgarian: Роялни сили в Смолян) were the official combat force for the Principality of Smolyan.