Explosion at Bulgarian Munitions Warehouse Supplying Ukraine; Accident Suspected

A significant explosion rocked a warehouse owned by the Bulgarian company EMKO near Varna on Monday, followed by several subsequent detonations. EMKO is known for supplying munitions to Ukraine and is owned by Emilian Gebrev, an entrepreneur who survived a poisoning attempt in 2015, an incident for which Bulgaria has accused Russia.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdziev stated that the explosion was "most likely" accidental. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and authorities were preparing to evacuate residents from nearby villages. The blast was powerful enough to be felt up to 15 kilometers away. Initial reports suggest the explosion originated from a truck fire that spread to one of the ammunition storage facilities.

Approximately 300 workers at the EMKO arms and ammunition plant were evacuated, according to regional administration sources cited by state broadcaster BNT. No fatalities or injuries have been confirmed. Large plumes of smoke were visible over the area following the incident.

This is not the first incident involving EMKO's facilities. In 2023, an explosion occurred at a company plant in Karnobat, where munitions destined for Ukraine were stored. Gebrev himself dismissed that incident as accidental or due to human error. Another fire occurred at the same Karnobat factory a year earlier. Furthermore, Gebrev stored ammunition for Ukraine in a Czech Republic warehouse that experienced an explosion in 2014, leading the Czech government to accuse Russia's GRU intelligence service at the time.

Gebrev's 2015 poisoning involved the nerve agent Novichok, the same substance used in the 2018 assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK. The recurring incidents and Gebrev's history suggest a complex background potentially involving geopolitical tensions.