Bulgaria’s prosecutors suspect group of Russians of organizing arms factory blasts

The Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office suspects six Russians of organizing four explosions between 2011 and 2020 in the country’s arms factories where products belonging to Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev were stored, Spokesperson for Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General Sijka Mileva told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday.

"There is a certain similarity between the four explosions at ammunition plants, and the products that were supposed to be exported to Georgia and Ukraine but were destroyed. Based on the investigation’s data, we can make a well-founded assumption about the interconnection between the explosions in Bulgaria, the attempted poisoning of three Bulgarian citizens and explosions in other countries," she argued.

According to Mileva, "it has been established that six Russian citizens were in Bulgaria on the days close to the dates of the explosions and the attempted assassination of Emilian Gebrev. Evidence of a grave crime committed by Russian citizens is being collected," she added.

According to the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office, an attempt on Gebrev’s life was made between April 28 and May 4, 2015.

Prague earlier said that Moscow was allegedly involved in the 2014 blast at an ammunition depot in the village of Vrbetice. On April 17, the Czech authorities announced the expulsion of 18 staff members of the Russian Embassy in Prague, who, according to the Czech Republic, are supposedly officers of Russia’s intelligence services. The Russian Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest with Prague over that step and declared 20 Czech Embassy employees personae non gratae.