Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova said Bulgarian defense factories are continuing to operate at full capacity, with large quantities of military equipment, particularly artillery shells and ammunition, being exported to NATO and EU countries. In an interview with Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti, she claimed that Western countries do not require such volumes of mostly Soviet-standard weapons and suggested that the equipment is likely being transferred to Ukraine.
“Given that there is no real need in Western countries for such volumes of weapons, mostly from the Soviet era, it can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that all these weapons eventually end up in Ukraine,” Mitrofanova said.
She also accused Sofia of following NATO’s policies without independent decision-making, claiming that Bulgaria would comply with alliance demands, including the possible use of its territory for military deployments linked to foreign interests.
According to Mitrofanova, Bulgaria’s decision to end free military aid to Ukraine was connected to the depletion of its military reserves rather than a broader halt in arms cooperation. She said that while direct donations may be coming to an end, arms production and exports remain active.
