Photo: Archive
The diplomat has carried out intelligence activities since 2017
Following a report by the State Agency for National Security a pre-litigation procedure has been launched against a Russian diplomat who collected information, which constitutes a state secret, for military intelligence in Moscow, the prosecutor’s office has announced.
The diplomat has carried out intelligence activities since 2017. He has collected military information, including about the deployment of US army units during exercises in Bulgaria. He has been in contact with a Bulgarian citizen with access to classified information providing him with financial benefits. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has declared the Russian diplomat persona non grata, giving him 72 hours to leave the country, the BTA reports.
Shortly after the Embassy of the United States in Bulgaria made a statement:
The United States of America supports Bulgaria’s efforts to protect its sovereignty and security, including the announcement today to expel a Russian embassy official for conducting espionage. We have in recent weeks and months seen too many examples of Russian officials carrying out aggressive actions, from espionage in Bulgaria to poisoning opponents both at home and abroad. Bulgaria is a strong NATO ally and partner and has an unalienable right to defend its sovereignty.
