A fire and explosion at a Bulgarian ammunition depot operated by EMCO, a supplier to Ukraine, is under investigation for sabotage. This is the second such incident at an EMCO facility in recent weeks, raising concerns about external interference targeting defense industries supplying Ukraine.
The incident raises concerns about the security of defense supply chains critical to Ukraine's war effort and suggests potential external interference targeting European arms manufacturers.
A large fire and explosion occurred overnight on September 12 at a Bulgarian ammunition storage facility operated by arms manufacturer EMCO, which supplies Ukraine. The blaze, which spread from one warehouse to another near the village of Tsareva Livada in central Bulgaria, marks the second such incident at one of the company's sites in recent weeks. No injuries were reported.
EMCO stated that the explosion was an act of sabotage and rejected human error as a cause, noting the warehouse had not been used for months and had recently passed Interior Ministry inspections. The company said the incident was "no exception to the series of sabotage against the Bulgarian defense industry."
Bulgarian authorities are investigating the possibility of sabotage and external interference, but Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev also pointed to shortcomings in storage and site security. "We do not rule out external interference, but when you have neglected the conditions under which explosives are stored and security, then one does not exclude the other," Demerdzhiev said. Authorities plan to inspect other ammunition warehouses across Bulgaria.
EMCO facilities have been repeatedly targeted by suspected sabotage. In 2024, Bulgarian authorities issued arrest warrants for six Russian citizens accused of involvement in explosions at ammunition warehouses between 2011 and 2020. Prosecutors stated these warehouses stored ammunition intended for export to Ukraine and Georgia. They also suggested potential links between these explosions, a 2015 attempt to poison EMCO owner Emilian Gebrev, and 2014 explosions in the Czech Republic. Investigative outlets Bellingcat and The Insider have linked these events to Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, though Moscow denies involvement.
The incident occurs amid broader concerns over fires and suspected sabotage at European defense facilities supplying Ukraine, including a recent explosion at an ammunition plant in Italy and another at a Rheinmetall factory earlier this year.