Bulgaria’s economy minister hints Russians attacked ammo factory

Bulgaria’s Economy Minister Bogdan Bogdanov on Monday advised Russia may have been liable for an explosion within the early hours of Sunday at an arms factory within the city of Karnobat, simply as Bulgaria is ramping up navy exports to Ukraine.

The blast comes amid an investigation by the Bulgarian authorities right into a collection of comparable incidents lately at arms depots housing ammunition meant to be exported to Ukraine. The probe is wanting into potential ties between the blasts and Russia.

“We have taken absolutely all measures … to make sure that people are safe and that Bulgarian industry will not be affected by these kind of raids,” Bogdanov said in response to the Dnevnik newspaper. The phrase ‘raids’ in Bulgarian suggests international incursions, though Bogdanov didn’t point out Russia by title.

The main fireplace that broke out on the warehouse in Karnobat was the second to happen there in lower than a 12 months.

Bulgaria has been exporting large quantities of ammunition to Ukraine because the begin of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, however the Kremlin’s affect in Bulgaria continues to run deep.

The factory hit by fireplace belongs to a Bulgarian arms seller, Emilian Gebrev, who survived a suspected poisoning with the Russian nerve agent novichok in Sofia in 2015.

After one other fireplace passed off on the similar plant final 12 months, Gebrev said he was “100 percent sure” Russian operatives had been accountable.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe on Sunday, Gebrev stated he did not know what may have brought on the hearth this time round.

Following this weekend’s incident, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov ordered a overview of all — state-owned and personal — arms factories within the nation.

In an announcement Monday, the inside ministry stated nobody was injured within the fireplace, including that the realm would stay sealed off for 3 days earlier than the beginning of on-site investigations.