An explosion and fire at a storage facility operated by Bulgarian arms manufacturer EMCO near Tryavna on August 10, 2026, raised sharp concerns about sabotage, possibly linked to Russian military intelligence (GRU) activity. The blast occurred around 10:30 local time at EMCO’s Belitsa site, causing extensive smoke and explosions heard up to 15 km away, but no injuries or environmental damage. Bulgarian authorities broadly suggested an internal cause such as a lorry fire, but EMCO ruled out human error and recalled past sabotage-linked explosions at their and other Bulgarian defense facilities dating back 15 years. Official Bulgarian investigations previously linked similar blasts to the GRU, which allegedly targeted EMCO and other arms manufacturers with sabotage and assassination attempts, including an attempt on EMCO owner Emilian Gebrev. Bulgarian prosecutors charged three Russian GRU officers in absentia in 2020 for these attacks. Bulgaria’s role as a key private and public ammunition supplier to Ukraine adds strategic sensitivity to the incident.

An explosion and fire at a storage facility operated by Bulgarian arms manufacturer EMCO near Tryavna on August 10, 2026, raised sharp concerns about sabotage, possibly linked to Russian military intelligence (GRU) activity. The blast occurred around 10:30 local time at EMCO’s Belitsa site, causing extensive smoke and explosions heard up to 15 km away, but no injuries or environmental damage. Bulgarian authorities broadly suggested an internal cause such as a lorry fire, but EMCO ruled out human error and recalled past sabotage-linked explosions at their and other Bulgarian defense facilities dating back 15 years. Official Bulgarian investigations previously linked similar blasts to the GRU, which allegedly targeted EMCO and other arms manufacturers with sabotage and assassination attempts, including an attempt on EMCO owner Emilian Gebrev. Bulgarian prosecutors charged three Russian GRU officers in absentia in 2020 for these attacks. Bulgaria’s role as a key private and public ammunition supplier to Ukraine adds strategic sensitivity to the incident.