Bulgaria expels Russian diplomats for engaging in intelligence

Bulgaria has given two Russian ambassadors 72 hours to leave the country, claiming they were involved in a rolled-up spy network. Last week, 6 (former) employees of the Military Intelligence Service were arrested for leaking classified information to Russia.

A former Bulgarian official was the head of a secret organization. His wife is Russian He maintained contact with the Russian embassy and sent information about the European Union and NATO.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said last week that Russia had violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations because the embassy in Sofia was allegedly involved in espionage activities.

Two Russians suspected of experiencing diplomatic opposition as embassy staff cannot be prosecuted. In recent years, Russian diplomats have been expelled from Bulgaria several times due to intelligence (suspicion).

Support of allies

The Russian embassy calls the intelligence allegations unsubstantiated, saying it will soon come up with an “adequate response”. In the past, the Kremlin decided to declare ambassadors as non-personalities after expelling Russian diplomats.

NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg This afternoon He discussed the conflict with Russia with Bulgarian Prime Minister Paico Borisov. Earlier, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, the United States and northern Macedonia expressed their support for Bulgaria.

The diplomatic line-up comes in the midst of a campaign for the Bulgarian parliamentary election on April 4. Boriso’s Christian Democrat GERB goes on a corruption charge In the election Is in the forefront, but the Socialist Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, is closely followed. The party wants an end to European sanctions against Russia.