Bulgarian authorities are investigating an overnight fire and a series of explosions at an ammunition storage site operated by the private defense company EMCO. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev stated that "outside interference" is being considered as a potential cause for the incident, which occurred in central Bulgaria and resulted in no injuries.
EMCO, a company whose weapons have been supplied to Ukraine for use against Russian forces, asserted that the fire was an act of sabotage and that human error had been definitively ruled out. The company did not identify any specific perpetrators.
This is the latest in a series of incidents affecting EMCO. A previous fire and explosions occurred at another EMCO ammunition warehouse in the region last month. EMCO reported that the facility, located near the village of Gorni Varpishta, had been unused for several months and was recently inspected, with all regulations confirmed to be in compliance.
The company has pointed to a pattern of similar events at Bulgarian defense firms since 2011, characterizing the recent fire as "no exception to the series of acts of sabotage against the Bulgarian defence industry." EMCO called for Bulgaria, as an EU and NATO member state, to "join the collective effort to prevent and neutralise these attacks."
EMCO is owned by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev. Bulgarian prosecutors have previously alleged that Gebrev has been targeted by Russian agents, including an attempted poisoning in 2015 that involved Gebrev, his son, and another company employee. Three Russian nationals were subsequently charged in absentia for this incident.
Bulgaria has been a significant supplier of weapons to Ukraine, supporting its defense against the full-scale Russian invasion launched in 2022. Although the Bulgarian government has recently paused state-owned arms shipments to Ukraine, private defense companies in the country continue to provide military equipment.
The incident in Bulgaria occurs amid reports of an escalation in Russian sabotage campaigns across Europe. Last week, Germany accused Russia of responsibility for a drone attack at Leipzig's airport, a claim denied by Moscow. Suspicious fires have also been reported at defense facilities in several European countries, including Italy and Estonia, with some affected nations attributing these incidents to Russia.