An overnight explosion and fire hit an EMCO ammunition storage facility in central Bulgaria on September 12, 2026, marking the second such incident at the company's sites in a month. No injuries were reported. EMCO, owned by arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, supplies ammunition to Ukraine and has declared the blast an act of sabotage. Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev is investigating external interference alongside potential security neglect. The incident follows historical patterns of suspected Russian sabotage targeting Gebrev and Bulgarian defense sites.
EMCO ammunition depot explosion
- ▪The affected EMCO warehouse contained explosive materials, including approximately 100 rounds of ammunition, according to statements from the armaments company
- ▪The September 12, 2026, explosion caused no casualties or injuries, and workers present at the EMCO facility were successfully evacuated
- ▪The incident on September 12, 2026, marks the second fire and explosion involving an EMCO ammunition facility in approximately one month, following a previous blaze in August 2026
- ▪An explosion and subsequent fire occurred overnight on September 11-12, 2026, at an EMCO ammunition storage facility located near the central Bulgarian villages of Tsareva Livada and Gorni Varpishta
Sabotage investigation underway
- ▪Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova stated on September 12, 2026, that she was considering convening the national security council due to the increasing frequency of explosions at ammunition depots
- ▪The arms manufacturer EMCO issued a statement declaring the September 12, 2026, explosion an act of sabotage, ruling out human error because the warehouse had been unused for months and passed an inspection 20 days prior
- ▪Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev stated that investigators are examining all hypotheses, including sabotage and external interference, while reviewing patterns from previous fires at EMCO and other defense companies
Russian operatives suspected involvement
- ▪The Russian government has denied any involvement in the explosions at Bulgarian defense facilities or the poisoning attempts against Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev
- ▪In 2024, Bulgarian authorities issued arrest warrants for six Russian citizens accused of involvement in explosions at Bulgarian ammunition warehouses storing export munitions for Ukraine and Georgia between 2011 and 2020
- ▪Bulgarian prosecutors have alleged links between the series of Bulgarian warehouse explosions, a 2015 poisoning attempt on EMCO owner Emilian Gebrev, and the 2014 ammunition depot explosions in the Czech Republic
Emilian Gebrev targeting history
- ▪EMCO, owned by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, continues to supply ammunition used by Ukraine through private transfers despite the Bulgarian government halting state-owned arms supplies
- ▪EMCO owner Emilian Gebrev, his son, and another company executive survived a 2015 poisoning attempt, leading Bulgarian prosecutors to charge three Russian nationals in absentia for attempted murder
Bulgarian defense industry security
- ▪Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev criticized the management of the EMCO facility, pointing to a neglect of security protocols and the conditions under which explosives and ammunition were stored
- ▪Slavcho Dimiev, manager of EMCO's production facilities, stated that if investigations conclude the warehouses were targeted, it represents an attack on the Bulgarian national interest rather than just a private company
Debatable claims
- ▪Bulgaria should officially blame Russia for the defense depot explosions
- ▪Bulgaria should ban private arms exports to Ukraine
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