Explosion Investigated at EMCO Weapons Storage Site in Bulgaria Amid Sabotage Fears
Investigation and Background of EMCO Weapons Depot Incidents
Details of the Recent Fire Incident
SOFIA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Bulgaria is investigating the cause of a fire at a weapons storage facility operated by EMCO, including the possibility of sabotage and a link to a previous blaze at another of the company's facilities in August, the interior minister said.
No injuries were reported in the fire, which broke out near the village of Tsareva Livada and lit up the night sky, according to videos broadcast locally. The incident came weeks after an explosion and fire at another EMCO weapons depot in western Bulgaria.
Official Response and Investigation Efforts
Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told journalists on Saturday that the fire was under control and that an investigation was underway.
"We will review previous cases in which similar fires occurred in the warehouses of this company, as well as at other companies, in order to look for a possible connection or a similar pattern," he said.
"We are not ruling out outside interference."
Background on EMCO and Previous Attacks
Allegations of Sabotage and Russian Involvement
EMCO is run by Bulgarian arms trader Emilian Gebrev, who Bulgarian prosecutors have previously alleged was the target of attacks on his facilities by Russian operatives.
In 2024, Bulgaria issued arrest warrants for six Russian citizens accused of involvement in the destruction of EMCO arms depots that stored munitions destined for export to Ukraine and Georgia between 2011 and 2020.
Related International Incidents
Prosecutors at the time said they had grounds to suspect links between the blasts in Bulgaria, an attempted poisoning of Gebrev in 2015, and munitions depot explosions in the Czech Republic in 2014.
Moscow has dismissed the allegations.
Statements from EMCO Representatives
Facility Management and Security Concerns
Slavcho Dimiev, manager of EMCO's production facilities, confirmed Saturday's fire at the storage site, which he said mainly holds ammunition, including a small quantity of medium-calibre rounds.
He told reporters that additional measures should be considered to protect such facilities.
"If it is ultimately concluded that they have been targeted, this is not an attack on a particular company alone; it is an attack on the national interest," he said.
(Reporting by Alex Lefkowitz and Stoyan Nenov. Writing by Lefteris Papdimas. Editing by Edward McAllister and Mark Potter)