Explosions hit Bulgarian arms plant owned by Emilian Gebrev, who was targeted in a GRU poisoning plot in 2015
On the morning of Aug. 10, a fire followed by explosions broke out at an ammunition production and storage facility near the central Bulgarian village of Belitsa. Around 300 employees were evacuated. There were no deaths or injuries, according to a report by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. The facility belongs to EMCO, a defense company owned by Bulgarian businessman Emilian Gebrev — a repeated…
On August 10, a fire and subsequent explosions occurred at an ammunition facility near Belitsa, a central Bulgarian village. Approximately 300 employees were evacuated with no reported casualties. The facility is owned by EMCO, a defense company controlled by Bulgarian businessman Emilian Gebrev, who has been a frequent target of suspected GRU operations, including a poisoning attempt in 2015.
The Insider, Bellingcat, and Der Spiegel investigated this attack, along with other explosions at ammunition depots that supplied Ukraine. Mayor Dencho Minev of Tryavna confirmed the fire was extinguished and all workers were evacuated via EMCO buses. Authorities cordoned off the area and set up an emergency operations center. The fire spread to nearby forests, prompting residents to close windows and seek protective masks.
Bulgarian authorities deemed the incident most likely accidental, though they are conducting a preliminary investigation.
Written by urgent.news from The Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
