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Bulgaria's Black Sea Stand-Off Shows the Tide is Turning Against Russia in Ukraine
BYLINE TIMES
Zarina Zabrisky
22 August 2023
Although a NATO and EU member, and the sixth largest arms producer in Europe, Bulgaria also had the lowest GDP per capita in the EU in 2022, is economically dependent on Russian gas, and has a deeply divided society, with pro-Russian sentiments still prevailing after 30 years of democracy. Yet with the recent victory for the pro-European Government, Bulgaria’s continually evolving role has significant implications for the outcome of the war.
While Bulgaria joined Western sanctions against Russia at the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the country initially failed to publicly assist Ukraine in its war effort. Bulgarian President Ruden Radev refused to supply artillery shells to Ukraine in March 2023. The interim Governments, appointed by Radev, also rejected direct arms supplies, citing the national security risks concerns. While in Bulgaria in July 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disagreed with Radev over military assistance for Ukraine and criticized Radev’s pro-Russian position.
However, according to an investigation by German WELT, unbeknownst to the international community, intermediary companies in Bulgaria and abroad established supply routes through Romania, Hungary, and Poland and delivered “about a third of the ammunition needed by the Ukrainian army in the early phase of the war”. In the most astonishing turn of events, Bulgaria also supplied about 40% of Ukraine’s diesel needs at the time—coincidentally, processed from Russian crude oil at a Black Sea refinery.
The Kremlin’s revenge was brutal. In a traditional hybrid war move, Russia halted the supply of spare parts for Bulgarian plants producing and repairing Soviet-made military equipment, launched a series of cyberattacks on the country’s power supply system and post offices, attempted to infiltrate the Government, and cut off the gas supply.
While Bulgaria joined Western sanctions against Russia at the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the country initially failed to publicly assist Ukraine in its war effort. Bulgarian President Ruden Radev refused to supply artillery shells to Ukraine in March 2023. The interim Governments, appointed by Radev, also rejected direct arms supplies, citing the national security risks concerns. While in Bulgaria in July 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disagreed with Radev over military assistance for Ukraine and criticized Radev’s pro-Russian position.
However, according to an investigation by German WELT, unbeknownst to the international community, intermediary companies in Bulgaria and abroad established supply routes through Romania, Hungary, and Poland and delivered “about a third of the ammunition needed by the Ukrainian army in the early phase of the war”. In the most astonishing turn of events, Bulgaria also supplied about 40% of Ukraine’s diesel needs at the time—coincidentally, processed from Russian crude oil at a Black Sea refinery.
The Kremlin’s revenge was brutal. In a traditional hybrid war move, Russia halted the supply of spare parts for Bulgarian plants producing and repairing Soviet-made military equipment, launched a series of cyberattacks on the country’s power supply system and post offices, attempted to infiltrate the Government, and cut off the gas supply.
https://bylinetimes.com/2023/08/22/bulgaria-black-sea-stand-off-shows-the-tide-is-turning-against-russia-in-ukraine/
