Massive Fire Erupts at Arms Storage Facility in Central Bulgaria
A major fire following an explosion erupted at a Bulgarian arms depot belonging to dealer Emilian Gebrev's EMCO company, marking the second such blast in weeks amid past links to Russian sabotage.
A massive fire broke out overnight and continued to burn on Saturday at a weapons storage facility near the village of Tsarevan Dol, central Bulgaria, following an explosion. No casualties have been reported in what marks the second blast at munitions facilities belonging to the EMCO company in recent weeks.
Footage published online showed towering flames illuminating the night sky. Gabrovo Regional Governor Kristina Sidova described the ongoing blaze, stating that the fire is currently contained within the facility's storage grounds and spreading between warehouses. A request for comment from EMCO was not immediately answered.
The facility belongs to a defense company managed by prominent Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev. Bulgarian prosecutors have previously alleged that Gebrev and his facilities were targeted by Russian operatives. In 2024, Bulgaria issued arrest warrants for six Russian nationals suspected of involvement in destroying the company's arms depots between 2011 and 2020. The targeted warehouses contained ammunition designated for export to Ukraine and Georgia.
Investigators previously linked the blasts at the Bulgarian depots, a 2015 poisoning attempt against Gebrev, and similar ammunition warehouse explosions in the Czech Republic in 2014. Moscow has consistently denied any involvement in the incidents.
