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Bulgaria investigates fire at weapons site that owner calls sabotage
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Bulgarian authorities are investigating a fire at an ammunition storage site operated by private defense company EMCO, with Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev not ruling out outside interference.
- EMCO, whose weapons are supplied to Ukraine, labeled the fire as sabotage and dismissed human error as a cause, without naming any suspects.
- The incident follows a similar fire and explosions last month at another EMCO warehouse, highlighting a pattern of attacks on Bulgarian defense firms since 2011.
- EMCO stated the affected facility near Gorni Varpishta had not been in use for months and was recently inspected, confirming compliance with regulations.
- The company urged Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member, to join efforts to prevent such sabotage, referencing a 2015 poisoning attempt linked to Russian nationals charged in absentia.
