The local Dutch newspaper
Middelburgsche Courant dated 28 June 1879 published a news item dealing with a Russian gift to Bulgaria. Russia gave the new state some vessels as a start to built up an own navy. The gift consisted of 2 steam launches, 6 light armed gunboats, each with a Krupp gun and six steam launches which served in the last war as torpedo boats. For the time being stayed the Russian crews on board until the Bulgarian sailors which were at that moment trained at Rustschuk and Varna were ready to replace them. The newspaper pointed out that it was dubious if Bulgaria which had only Black Sea ports even was allowed to have a navy regarded the treaties.
