there Bulgariaone of the countries of the former Eastern bloc, secretly sent ammunition and fuel to the troops of Kyiv at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was revealed by an investigation by the German newspaper Die Welt, which underscores how the shipment took place despite the presence of a strong pro-Russian wing in the Sofia government – which was overthrown in June – which has always boycotted arms sales to Kyiv. Thanks to exclusive interviews with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kulebathe former Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and his finance minister Assen VasilyevWelt was able to show how Sofia used intermediary companies in Bulgaria and abroad to open air and land supply routes Romania, Hungaryand Poland at a critical moment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the fighting on the front lines. Although many details were not disclosed, the German newspaper explains that it was not the intermediary countries that paid for this aid, but United Kingdom and United States. Version, also confirmed by the Kiev government through Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, according to which Ukraine is in danger of running out of ammunition. “We knew that the Bulgarian camps had large amounts of the necessary ammunition, so President Zelensky sent me to Sofia on April 19 to get the necessary materials,” Kuleba said. It is a matter of “life and death,” the minister continued, “because otherwise the Russians would have occupied more villages and towns, killed, tortured and raped more Ukrainians.” The relief plan ground to a halt in June when Petkov’s government was discouraged by the majority that supported it. And the new caretaker government at the top Donev When he took office in August, he immediately made it clear that he wanted to “resume” relations with Moscow.
The splits in the government in Sofia
Despite being a member of EU and NATO Bulgaria has always had to balance – in a way – between East and West. On the contrary, while the Russian invasion of February 24 unified Europe and condemned war, the conflict in Sofia exacerbated old divisions within the “chambers of power” and within Bulgarian society. The same Petkov, who was prime minister when the war broke out, has faced quite a bit of opposition from pro-Kremlin politicians, including that of his coalition partners: the Socialist Party, a direct descendant of the former Soviet-era Communist Party. During his tenure, he even fired the defense minister for openly siding with Vladimir Putin and his “special operation.” But now that the war is (almost) in its first year, Petkov and Vasilyev, both in opposition and looking for a way back to power in the upcoming 2023 elections, have broken their silence on the true extent of Bulgaria’s role in the conflict in Ukraine. “We estimate that about a third of the ammunition needed by the Ukrainian army in the first phase of the war came from Bulgaria,” Petkov told Die Welt.
Not just guns and ammo
Not just guns fuel: the one sent from Sofia to Kyiv. «Bulgaria has become one of the largest exporters of diesel fuel to Ukraine and has the 40% needs of Ukraine,” former Finance Minister Vasilev told the German newspaper. The fuel that got into the occupied country was processed at a Black Sea refinery, then owned by the Russian company Lukoil. Vassilev said he encourages the company to export excess oil to Ukraine. “The reaction was positive, including among staff who condemned Putin’s war,” the ex-minister told the world. «Bulgaria – he explains – needs about half of the fuel produced by the refinery, the rest – he explains – was shipped to Ukraine. Here, too, deliveries from local companies were made via foreign intermediaries with trucks and tankers, which regularly drove to Ukraine via Romania, and some fuel was also loaded onto freight trains. The statement was also confirmed by Kyiv, which reiterated how Ukrainian companies received Bulgarian fuel in the early months of the Russian invasion.
Moscow’s reactions
According to the former Bulgarian prime minister, Moscow learned about aid supplies secretly sent from Bulgaria to Ukraine. In response, Kiril Petkov explains he allegedly carried out retaliatory measures, including cutting off the country’s natural gas supply and launching cyberattacks on Bulgarian post offices and businesses. But not only. According to Petkov’s story, Moscow also tried to bribe MPs from the Bulgarian ultra-conservative party to put forward pro-Russian demands. Between March and June Bulgaria drove around 70 Employees of the Russian embassy in Sofia on charges of espionage.
Cover photo: ANSA/SERGEJ DOLZHENKO | Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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