Bulgaria expels one russian, two belarusian nationals for implementing Russia's hybrid strategy

One Russian and two Belarusian nationals have been expelled from Bulgaria, stripped of the right of residence and barred from entering Bulgaria for a period of five years by order of the Chairperson of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), SANS said in a press release here on Thursday.

The coercive administrative measures were imposed in connection with an activity carried out by the three individuals against Bulgaria's national security and interest, the Agency specified. "Information has been acquired about actions by the persons concerned involving the implementation of various elements of the hybrid strategy of the Russian Federation for purposeful impacting of socio-political processes in the Republic of Bulgaria in favour of Russian geopolitical interests," the press release reads.

SANS identified the three expelees by their initials: Russian national N.Z. and Belarusian nationals E.P. and V.B.

The Russian Embassy in Sofia said in a Facebook post on Thursday that "the Bulgarian authorities took the rude, blatant action of expelling from the country the rector of the Podvorye of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia, Archimandrite Vassian, and two ministers of the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra." 

"We are indignant at the fact and format of the decision taken by the Bulgarian side. It is obvious that the current Bulgarian leadership has set itself the task of destroying not only the socio-political, cultural and humanitarian ties between our states, but also of severing relations between the sister Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches, and of embittering the Russian and Bulgarian peoples against each other. It is especially telling that this step is taken on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a holy and pure day for the parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church.

"We emphasize that responsibility for the rapid degradation of bilateral co-operation lies entirely with the Bulgarian side," the Embassy said.

Archimandrite Vassian's secular name is Nikolay Zmeev and he is the representative of the Russian Patriarch in Bulgaria.