Europe12 September, 20262 min read
Bulgaria Investigates EMCO Sabotage Fire Near Tsareva Livada After Another Depot Explosion
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Second EMCO ammunition depot fire in weeks near Tsareva Livada caused explosions. Bulgarian authorities investigate sabotage or external interference as a possible cause.
Bulgaria probes EMCO fire
Bulgaria is investigating an overnight fire at an ammunition storage site operated by EMCO, with Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev saying authorities are investigating the cause and are "not ruling out outside interference". The blaze broke out near the village of Tsareva Livada and lit up the night sky, and Reuters reported that no injuries were reported as the fire was brought under control.
EMCO later said the fire was sabotage and that human error was "completely ruled out," while the company did not identify any suspects. The incident came weeks after an explosion and fire at another EMCO weapons depot in August, and Demerdzhiev said investigators would review previous cases to look for a possible connection or similar pattern.
Competing explanations
Demerdzhiev told journalists that investigators were examining the possibility of sabotage and had not ruled out external interference, while also pointing to shortcomings in storage and site security. In a statement, EMCO rejected human error and said the warehouse had not been used for months and had recently passed Interior Ministry inspections, adding that the incident was "no exception to the series of sabotage against the Bulgarian defense industry."
Local police said "At present there is no danger to the population," and they said employees had been evacuated and the area cordoned off. EMCO production facilities manager Slavcho Dimiev confirmed the site mainly stores ammunition, including a small quantity of medium-caliber rounds, and he said additional security measures should be considered to protect arms facilities.
Wider European implications
The Reuters account linked the EMCO fire to a broader pattern of suspected sabotage against European defense firms supplying Ukraine, noting that Bulgaria is a NATO member state supporting Kyiv’s self-defense efforts. EMCO is run by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, and Reuters said Bulgarian prosecutors issued arrest warrants for six Russian citizens accused of involvement in the destruction of EMCO arms depots storing munitions set for export to Ukraine and Georgia between 2011 and 2020.
The BBC reported that EMCO said the latest incident was "no exception to the series of acts of sabotage against the Bulgarian defence industry," and it cited similar incidents at Bulgarian defence firms since 2011. DW also described a wider set of attacks attributed to Russia across Europe, including a claim by Germany that Russia was responsible for August’s drone attack at Leipzig’s airport, which Moscow denied as "absurd."