Bulgaria's Former Defense Minister Says Russian Influence Network In The Country
5- 4.08.2025, 22:19
- 4,320
RF makes the country vulnerable to propaganda and increases the risks of hybrid attacks.
Bulgaria has developed a "network of influence" from Russia, making the country vulnerable to propaganda and increasing the risks of hybrid attacks, said former Bulgarian Defense Minister Velizar Shalamanov (in office for three months in 2014), now an associate professor at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Facti.bg.
"Russia actively seeks out vulnerabilities that can be exploited through its existing network of influence, relying on a wide network of collaborators and agents in the target country," Shalamanov emphasized.
He argues that Moscow develops narratives that are then tailored to each country's problems. In Bulgaria, he said, the topics of migrants, the introduction of the euro, and the war in Ukraine are particularly relevant. Another sensitive topic is elections. In addition, the operations of such networks of influence include subversive actions - arson, explosions, Shalamanov added.
Last year, Bulgaria held extraordinary parliamentary elections, with the right-populist pro-Russian Renaissance party coming fourth with about 14%. However, the parties in the second and third positions showed slightly more than the same 14% each.
Revival is a young political force, founded in 2014 and first entered parliament in 2021. The party is considered close to Russia because of its stance on the military conflict between Moscow and Kiev. For example, in the spring of 2022, Renaissance organized a rally in Sofia demanding the withdrawal of military aid to "either side" of the conflict, and this October called for a return to dialogue as the main tool for peace. This year, the party held rallies against the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria.
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