Bulgaria probes explosion at weapon storage site
Bulgaria is investigating the cause of a fire at a weapons storage facility operated by EMCO, including the possibility of sabotage and a link to a previous blaze at another of the company’s facilities in August, the interior minister said. No injuries were reported in the fire, which broke out near the village of Tsareva Livada and lit up the night sky, according to videos broadcast locally. The…
Bulgaria is conducting an investigation into a fire at a weapons storage facility owned by EMCO, which may have been caused by sabotage, according to Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. The fire, which occurred near the village of Tsareva Livada and was captured on video, did not result in any injuries. The incident is reminiscent of a previous explosion and fire at another EMCO depot in western Bulgaria.
Demerdzhiev stated that the fire has been brought under control and that authorities are examining past cases of similar fires at EMCO and other companies to determine if there is a pattern or connection to the incidents. EMCO has claimed that the fire was intentionally set, citing over a decade of similar incidents at Bulgarian defense firms.
The company's owner, Emilian Gebrev, has previously been accused by Bulgarian prosecutors of being targeted by Russian operatives. The investigation is taking place against the backdrop of shifting political dynamics in Bulgaria, following the April election of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who was initially seen as pro-Kremlin. However, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov later announced that Bulgaria would cease supplying weapons to Ukraine and called for dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv to resolve the ongoing conflict.
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