Bulgarian authorities are investigating a fire that occurred overnight at an ammunition storage facility operated by EMCO, a private defense company based in the country. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev indicated that investigators are considering the possibility of external involvement in the incident. The fire, which took place at a site near the central village of Gorni Varpishta approximately 170 kilometers east of Sofia, resulted in a series of explosions but caused no injuries.
EMCO stated publicly that the fire constituted sabotage and ruled out human error as a contributing factor. The company noted that the storage facility had been inactive for several months prior to the incident and had undergone inspection just 20 days earlier, at which time it was found to be in full compliance with applicable safety regulations. The company did not specify who might be responsible for the incident.
This fire marks the second major incident at an EMCO facility in the area in recent weeks, following a similar fire and explosions at another company warehouse last month. EMCO cited a pattern of incidents at Bulgarian defense firms dating back to 2011, characterizing the latest occurrence as consistent with what it describes as a series of sabotage attacks targeting Bulgaria’s defense sector.
EMCO is controlled by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, who has previously been the subject of alleged Russian targeting. Bulgarian prosecutors have alleged that Russian agents attempted to poison Gebrev, his son, and a company employee in 2015, resulting in charges against three Russian nationals for attempted murder, which Moscow did not acknowledge.
Bulgaria has served as a significant weapons supplier to Ukraine. While the Bulgarian government recently suspended state-owned arms exports to Ukraine, private defense companies including EMCO have continued such transfers. The incident occurs amid reports of increased Russian sabotage activities across Europe, with Germany recently attributing an August drone attack at Leipzig’s airport to Russian responsibility, a claim Moscow denied. Various defense facilities across European countries including Italy and Estonia have experienced suspicious fires, with some nations attributing responsibility to Russia.
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