Bulgaria has expelled two Russian diplomats whom it accuses of conducting military espionage. This raises to five the number of Russian diplomats who have been expelled from Bulgaria for espionage in the past year.
The Bulgarian government had notified the Russian embassy of its decision with an official diplomatic note. The two Russian diplomats, who have not been named, were given 72 hours to leave the country, said the spokesman.
These diplomats are Deputy Trade representative Sergey Nikolashin and Deputy Trade representative Vadim Bykov.
In addition to the expulsion of the two diplomats, it was later reported that the Bulgarian government had denied an earlier request by Moscow to provide diplomatic accreditation to Russia’s new military attaché to the country, who was expected to assume his post in Sofia this coming December. It is believed that this action by the Bulgarian government is connected to the alleged espionage case involving the two Russian diplomats.
Bulgarian government prosecutors allege that the two Russians have engaged in espionage activities in Bulgaria since 2016. Their goal, according to the Bulgarians, was to obtain classified information about the technological modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, which is ongoing. The two diplomats are believed to be working for the Main Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, which is commonly referred to as GRU.
Russian intelligence was interested in ad hoc data on new F16 fighters, as well as on plans to acquire combat drones. There are reasonable grounds to believe they might be related to the increasingly frequent strange situations at the Bulgarian military plants (common explosions in military factories). It’s a given that we are talking about a $ 1.2 billion deal for eight F-16 Block 70 multipurpose fighters and the equipment and weapons necessary for them, set up in summer of 2019. The first six aircraft are expected to be delivered to Bulgaria by the end of 2023, and the rest – by the beginning of 2024.
The F-16 Block 70 features technologies developed for the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fighters yet provides a proven, capable, low-risk and cost effective solution for Bulgaria’s national and NATO defense needs. F-16 Block 70 features the most advanced 4th generation fighter aircraft capabilities in NATO’s inventory today. Moscow is likely to make a try to size the scenario when the NATO countries in southeastern Europe re-arm, the potential for modernizing obsolete aircraft, and how it will affect military capabilities in those countries.
Both intelligence officers have been engaged in clandestine practice starting from 2016 to the present. They had allegedly already made contacts with Bulgarian officials who were privy to such information, and in some cases had already provided them with money in exchange for secrets.
In October, Bulgaria expelled Vladimir Rusyaev, a first secretary at the Russian embassy for gathering classified information on Bulgaria, the European Union and NATO. In early 2020, Bulgarian counterintelligence accused the Kremlin of eavesdropping.
Before these accusations Sofia charged three Russians in absentia with attempted murder over the 2015 poisoning in Sofia of arms manufacturer Emiliyan Gebrev, his son and his company manager with Novichok-type chemical agent.
Following the detention in Norway when meeting with an agent of a Russian diplomat, it is to be noted that Russia’s military intelligence started to double down on positions in trade missions at embassies as a cover for espionage. A trade representative, Alexander Khvatov was one the Russian diplomats expelled from Sofia in early 2020. He went to southern border of Bulgaria, where the route of the gas connection with Greece will run. There he met different people and showed an unhealthy interest in the project.
Russian intelligence cover structures’ case study by lansinginstitute.org also highlighted extensive use of Rossotrudnichestvo by Russia’s foreign intelligence. It is possible, therefore, that Olga Shirokova, a representative for this organization in Bulgaria, might be engaged in conducting intelligence in the country as well.
Bulgaria is the target in a hybrid war waged by the Kremlin. Russia has sufficient resources to pull off such subversive operation. Most of their station in the Balkans is controlled from Sofia. The Russian Embassy in Sofia coordinates the SVR and GRU stations in all Balkan countries, including Macedonia and Montenegro. We argue, therefore, that Russia’s activity in this country will boost alongside with an expansion in the number of influence actions and active measures.
The fact that some countries in the region are NATO-members does not guarantee that Moscow has given up its plan to steer them back to its fold.
