Bulgarian Authorities Investigate Possible Sabotage Following Blaze at EMCO Arms Depot

Bulgarian law enforcement and security services have initiated a comprehensive investigation into a fire that erupted at an arms storage facility operated by defense company EMCO, officials confirmed on Saturday. The incident represents the second suspicious event to strike the weapons manufacturer in just a matter of weeks, raising immediate questions about potential foreign sabotage.

The blaze occurred near the village of Tsareva Livada, sending large plumes of smoke and bright flames into the night sky, according to footage broadcast by local television networks. Emergency crews managed to bring the flames under control, and authorities confirmed that no casualties or injuries were reported at the scene.

The incident follows a similar explosion and fire that damaged another EMCO storage site in western Bulgaria in August. The proximity of both events has led investigators to examine whether a coordinated effort is underway against the country's military manufacturing infrastructure.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev addressed reporters regarding the ongoing response, stating that investigators are exploring all plausible theories. He emphasized that the authorities will not limit their focus to accidental causes, noting that external intervention remains a central line of inquiry.

Demerdzhiev announced that security officials will review past incidents at EMCO warehouses and other domestic defense manufacturers to identify recurring patterns or direct linkages. He explicitly noted that state authorities are not ruling out outside interference as the primary cause behind the fire.

EMCO, for its part, released a direct statement attributing the fire to deliberate sabotage. The arms manufacturer argued that the event fits a broader, decade-long campaign of hostile actions, pointing to more than ten separate unexplained blasts and fires at Bulgarian defense companies dating back to 2011.

In its public remarks, the arms firm emphasized that there is no valid reason to treat the latest incident as an isolated or accidental event. The company also criticized state agencies for what it described as a persistent failure to adequately safeguard vital defense infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice.

EMCO highlighted that none of the investigations into the numerous past attacks on leading defense manufacturers have reached a definitive conclusion. Defending its operational compliance, the company stated that the Tsareva Livada warehouse had been subjected to seven separate regulatory inspections since the start of the year, with the most recent safety review occurring only 20 days prior to the incident.

Slavcho Dimiev, the manager overseeing EMCO’s production facilities, confirmed that the damaged site served primarily as an ammunition storage location. Dimiev stated that the depot held general munitions alongside a limited stockpile of medium-calibre rounds at the time the fire began.

Despite the company's defense of its operations, Interior Minister Demerdzhiev raised formal concerns regarding internal protocols. He stated that state investigators will critically assess the specific conditions under which high-grade explosives are stored, the overall adequacy of security measures, and the methods deployed to guard such sensitive installations.

The targeted enterprise is owned by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, a prominent industry figure who has previously been identified by state prosecutors as the target of covert Russian operations. Over the last decade, Gebrev’s business operations have repeatedly found themselves at the center of international security investigations.

In 2024, Bulgarian prosecutors took significant legal action by issuing arrest warrants for six Russian citizens in connection with a string of explosions at EMCO facilities between 2011 and 2020. Those targeted facilities had been housing weapons and munitions destined for export to Ukraine and Georgia.

State prosecutors previously established suspected connections linking the Bulgarian depot explosions, an attempt to poison Gebrev with a toxic substance in 2015, and a series of deadly munitions warehouse blasts in the Czech Republic in 2014. The Russian government has consistently denied any involvement in these events.

The latest fire comes during a period of substantial political sensitivity in Sofia. Prime Minister Rumen Radev assumed leadership of the government in April on a Kremlin-friendly platform, shifting the tone of Bulgarian foreign relations and defense policy.

Further reflecting this political realignment, newly appointed Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced in June that Bulgaria would cease sending arms supplies to Ukraine, urging Kyiv and Moscow to engage in peace negotiations to resolve the war. The renewed destruction at EMCO's facilities adds fresh strain to the country's evolving national security landscape.