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SANS captured another spy in the Russian embassy and the special prosecutor’s office opened a case for espionage. The scout turned out to be the military attaché, who was interested in the military exercises carried out on Bulgarian territory.
The Foreign Ministry immediately issued a statement that the Russian had been declared persona non grata and had 72 hours to leave the country. Who the expelled diplomat was became clear from the announcement by the Russian embassy.
In the period from 2017 to the present, another citizen of the Russian Federation has carried out intelligence activities, during which military information was collected, including the number of US troops stationed on the territory of Bulgaria during the exercise. The aim was to pass the information, which is an official and state secret, to Russian military intelligence in Moscow, “the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
In order to carry out his illegal activity, the Russian citizen had contacts with a Bulgarian citizen who had access to the relevant classified information. He was promised and given financial benefits.
On December 18 of this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria declared a military, air and naval attaché of the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria persona non grata. “Dialogue between our countries in the military sphere, as well as to strengthen stability in the Black Sea region. Russia reserves the right to retaliate,” the statement said. the Russian embassy.
Embassy of the United States for his part, he issued a position in support of Bulgaria’s efforts to defend its sovereignty and security, including today’s announcement of the expulsion of an employee of the Russian embassy for espionage.
“In recent weeks and months, we have witnessed too many examples of aggressive actions by Russian officials, from espionage in Bulgaria to poisoning opponents both at home and abroad. Bulgaria is a strong ally and partner. in NATO and has the inalienable right to defend its sovereignty “, is indicated in position.
Bulgaria last expelled two Russian diplomats at the end of September. According to SANS, they were seeking “information on the modernization plans of the Bulgarian army and the maintenance of the technical suitability of the military equipment.”
In the past two years, SANS has been particularly active in catching Russian spies.
In January, prosecutors declared two other Russian diplomats spies and the government expelled them. The reason was that one diplomat was interested in information on the mechanisms of the electoral process and the other, on the country’s energy and energy security.
At the end of October last year, a spy, who held the position of first secretary, was found in the Russian embassy.
Earlier, the prosecution opened a well-known spying case against the president of the Russophile Association, Nikolai Malinov. However, the court allowed him to travel to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin personally awarded him the Order of Merit. There is no development in the case of Malinov. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov described the Malinov case as a “spy scandal in quotes.”
However, the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, declared judge Andon Mitalov undesirable in the country, who allowed Malinov to travel to Russia for “corruption”.
Russian Senator: Bulgaria has become a spokesperson for NATO’s thesis on the Russian threat
Bulgaria, which is not the first to expel Russian diplomats from the country, has become a spokesperson for NATO’s thesis on the “Russian threat,” the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council said today (upper house of Parliament) Konstantin Kosachov, quoted by TASS.
Bulgaria has been named by NATO sponsors as a spokesperson for the “Russian threat” thesis. Being a spokesperson for the ambitions and interests of other countries is an unenviable mission for any country if it is unwilling to give up its sovereignty due to misunderstood allied obligations. “Kosachov told reporters.
He noted that this is not the first time that Bulgaria has prosecuted Russian diplomats. “It is hard to imagine what Russian diplomats in Bulgaria could study so much,” the senator said.
Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Duma (lower house) Committee on International Relations, told reporters that it was not the first time that Bulgaria had prosecuted Russian diplomats, accusing them of spying without evidence. “With this, Sofia is heating up the degree of Russophobic hysteria,” said the Russian parliamentarian, noting that this time the NATO map was being played: “someone was supposedly trying to obtain information on the number of military personnel during the exercises” , TASS reported. According to Slutsky, this is being done “apparently to maintain the myth of Russian aggression and threat.” Such actions in diplomatic practice do not go unanswered. I am sure that Russia, as always, will respond in an appropriate and timely manner, he said.
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