Bulgarian Weapons Site Fire Prompts Sabotage Claims From Emilian Gebrev
Bulgarian authorities are investigating a fire that erupted at the state-owned VMZ Sopot weapons production facility near the central town of Karnare. Prosecutors have stated that 'outside interference' remains a possibility as they probe the origins of the blaze.
Emilian Gebrev, owner of EMCO Ltd, a private arms firm whose warehouses were affected by the fire, has publicly claimed the incident was an act of sabotage. Gebrev asserted on Bulgarian National Television that 'various items, including bombs, have been scattered around the warehouse and on the access road', suggesting a deliberate act.
This is not an isolated incident. Gebrev's company and associated facilities have been targets of multiple explosions in recent years. In 2015, Gebrev himself was poisoned with a Novichok-like nerve agent in Sofia, an attack he survived. Subsequent investigations by Bulgarian authorities implicated Russian intelligence agents in both the poisoning and the earlier explosions at his arms depots.
EMCO Ltd, a prominent supplier of ammunition to Ukraine, has faced persistent disruption. The pattern of these incidents suggests a broader campaign against companies supplying arms to countries opposing Russian interests, particularly in the context of Western efforts to bolster Kyiv's defence capabilities. Such actions serve to destabilise supply chains and exert pressure on Western-aligned states, underscoring the ongoing proxy conflict dynamics in Eastern Europe.
