Bulgaria Investigates Explosion and Fire at EMCO Ammunition Depot

Bulgarian authorities are investigating a fire and explosion that occurred overnight on September 12 at a weapons storage facility operated by the arms manufacturer EMCO. The blaze broke out near the village of Tsareva Livada in central Bulgaria and spread across multiple warehouses. No injuries were reported. This incident marks the second such event involving EMCO facilities in just over a month, following another explosion and fire in August.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev stated that investigators are examining the possibility of sabotage and external interference. However, he also noted that there may have been neglect regarding security and the conditions under which the explosives were stored. EMCO rejected the possibility of human error in a statement, asserting that the warehouse had recently passed inspections and had not been used for months. The company claimed the incident was an act of sabotage, citing a pattern of similar attacks against the Bulgarian defense industry.

EMCO is owned by arms trader Emilian Gebrev and supplies ammunition used by Ukraine. The company's facilities have been the subject of previous investigations into suspected Russian sabotage. Bulgarian authorities previously issued arrest warrants for six Russian citizens linked to warehouse explosions between 2011 and 2020. While investigative outlets have linked these events to Russia's GRU, Moscow has denied involvement.