---
title: "Fire erupts at Bulgarian arms depot after explosion "
url: https://moldova1.md/p/85191/fire-erupts-at-bulgarian-arms-depot-after-explosion
published: 2026-09-12T12:35:45Z
language: en
author: "Rodica Mazur"
section: "International"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Fire erupts at Bulgarian arms depot after explosion 

> An explosion sparked a blaze at a Bulgarian arms depot overnight, local officials said, marking the second such incident at a weapons facility in recent weeks.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/3b1673d1-a4de-4eb4-a081-af3b0ae6cf30.jpg)

An explosion sparked a blaze at a Bulgarian arms depot overnight, local officials said, marking the second such incident at a weapons facility in recent weeks.

**Spreading fire at storage facility**

No casualties were reported following the blast near the village of Tsareva Livada, according to local authorities and Reuters. Fire crews were dispatched to contain the blaze as detonations subsided.

*“At this moment, the fire is burning across the factory’s storage site. It is spreading from one warehouse to another,”* Gabrovo Regional Governor Kristina Sidorova said on Saturday morning.

The site is operated by arms manufacturer EMCO, which suffered an explosion at another facility last month, local media reported, citing a company representative. EMCO is led by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev.

**Past Russian sabotage probes**

Bulgarian prosecutors have previously linked multiple attacks on Gebrev’s facilities to Russian intelligence operatives. Gebrev survived a poisoning attempt in 2015 that Sofia authorities connected to officers from Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU.

In 2024, Bulgaria issued European arrest warrants for six Russian nationals accused of orchestrating explosions at EMCO depots between 2011 and 2020. The munitions stored there were destined for export to Ukraine and Georgia. 

Bulgarian investigators stated that reasonable grounds link the depot blasts in Bulgaria, the poisoning of Gebrev, and the 2014 ammunition depot explosions in the Czech Republic. Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement in the incidents.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

***
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