Fire Erupts at Bulgarian Weapons Facility; Sabotage Probe Underway

A fire has broken out at a weapons storage facility operated by Bulgarian defence company EMCO near the village of Tsareva Livada, prompting an investigation into its cause. Bulgaria’s Interior Minister said the blaze was brought under control and no injuries were reported, while authorities are examining whether the incident could be linked to a previous explosion at another EMCO facility in August.

Officials have not ruled out sabotage and said investigators would compare the latest incident with previous fires at EMCO and other defence facilities. EMCO, however, has stated that the fire was the result of sabotage, pointing to more than 10 similar incidents involving Bulgarian defence companies since 2011. The facility reportedly stored ammunition, including a small quantity of medium-calibre rounds.

The incident comes amid previous allegations surrounding attacks on EMCO facilities and its owner, arms trader Emilian Gebrev. Bulgarian prosecutors have previously accused Russian nationals of involvement in earlier weapons depot explosions, allegations rejected by Moscow. Authorities are also facing renewed questions over security measures and the storage and protection of explosives at defence facilities.

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