Another explosion at a facility linked to Bulgaria’s arms industry has raised new questions, while the causes remain unclear. According to local authorities, the fire broke out overnight at an arms depot near the village of Tsareva Livada, in central Bulgaria.
The fire spread from one warehouse to another
Bulgarian authorities said no injuries were reported. However, the flames spread from one warehouse to another, making the incident particularly sensitive because of the nature of the facility.
Gabrovo regional governor Kristina Sidorova said in the early hours of Saturday that the fire was in the factory’s warehouse area and was spreading to other buildings as well.
The facility is managed by Bulgarian company EMCO
According to local media, the fire broke out at a structure managed by the Bulgarian arms company EMCO. So far, the cause of the explosion has not been made public.
Reuters reported that it was not immediately able to reach the company for comment on the incident, leaving gaps in the official account of what happened during the night.
Second incident within a few weeks
The latest case comes just a few weeks after another explosion was reported at a facility belonging to the same company. The recurrence of incidents at sites linked to EMCO makes the issue more sensitive than an ordinary industrial fire.
So far, authorities have not made any official link between the two cases, but the fact that they involve facilities of the same company is expected to increase pressure on the investigation.
Old accusations, denial from Moscow
EMCO is run by Bulgarian arms trader Emilian Gebrev, who has previously been at the center of allegations of attacks on his properties by Russian agents. In 2024, Bulgarian authorities issued arrest warrants for six Russian citizens suspected of involvement in explosions that destroyed EMCO arms depots.
According to Bulgarian prosecutors, these depots stored ammunition intended for export to Ukraine and Georgia during the 2011–2020 period. Bulgarian prosecutors have also spoken of a possible link between the explosions at arms depots in Bulgaria, the attempted poisoning of Gebrev in 2015, and the 2014 explosions at ammunition depots in the Czech Republic.
Russia has denied these accusations. Meanwhile, regarding the latest explosion, Bulgarian authorities said the investigation is ongoing and the cause remains unknown.
The incident brings renewed focus to security at military facilities and how repeated incidents in sensitive infrastructure are handled publicly.
For now, any speculation about responsibility or motive remains unconfirmed, while the only confirmed facts are the explosion, the fire, and the recurrence of the case at a site linked to EMCO.