Bulgaria investigates fire at weapons site that owner calls sabotage

Bulgaria is investigating the origin of an overnight occurrence astatine an ammunition retention tract tally by a backstage defence company.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said the authorities "are not ruling retired extracurricular interference" successful the incidental successful cardinal Bulgaria. No-one was injured successful the blaze that triggered a bid of explosions.

EMCO company, whose weapons are utilized by Ukraine against invading Russian forces, said the occurrence astatine its tract was sabotage and that quality mistake was "completely ruled out". It did not accidental who mightiness beryllium responsible.

The latest incidental follows past month's occurrence and blasts astatine different EMCO ammunition warehouse successful the area.

In a statement, EMCO said the retention installation that was burned this clip - adjacent the cardinal colony of Gorni Varpishta, immoderate 170km (106 miles) eastbound of the superior Sofia - had not been utilized for months and was inspected conscionable 20 days ago, erstwhile afloat compliance with each regulations was confirmed.

It cited a fig of akin incidents astatine Bulgarian defence firms since 2011, saying that the latest was "no objection to the bid of acts of sabotage against the Bulgarian defence industry".

"As the EU and Nato subordinate authorities astir severely affected by specified actions, Bulgaria indispensable articulation the corporate effort to forestall and neutralise these attacks," EMCO said.

The steadfast is tally by Bulgarian arms trader Emilian Gebrev, who Bulgarian prosecutors allege has already been targeted by Russian agents.

This includes a poisoning effort successful 2015 of Gebrev, his lad and different institution worker - 3 Russian nationals were aboriginal charged successful absentia for attempted murder.

Bulgaria is simply a large weapons supplier to Ukraine, arsenic it continues to repel a full-scale Russian penetration launched successful 2022.

And though Sofia has precocious halted state-owned arms supplies to Ukraine, Bulgarian backstage defence companies proceed specified transfers.

Russia appears to person precocious escalated its sabotage run crossed Europe.

Last week, Germany said Russia was liable for August's drone onslaught astatine Leipzig's airdrome - a assertion denied by Moscow arsenic "absurd".

There person besides been a fig of suspicious fires astatine defence facilities from Italy to Estonia, with immoderate of the affected countries blaming Russia.