Bulgaria

U.S. sanctions shatter Putin’s leverage in the Balkans

U.S. sanctions have significantly undermined Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s sway in the Balkans - a shift most visible in Bulgaria and Serbia, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20.

20 November 2025, 11:51 AM

Bulgaria limits fuel exports to EU following U.S. sanctions against Lukoil

Bulgarian lawmakers have voted to temporarily ban exports of oil products — including mainly diesel and aviation fuel — to EU countries, with 135 in favor, four opposed, and 42 abstaining, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Nov. 1.

1 November 2025, 11:50 AM

U.S. scales back military presence in Eastern Europe

The United States plans to withdraw about 800 troops from Romania and reduce its military presence in Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary, G4Media reported on Oct. 29, citing government sources.

29 October 2025, 12:41 PM

Bulgarian airspace open to Putin’s plane for Budapest summit with Trump

Bulgaria is prepared to grant Russian dictator Vladimir Putin permission to cross its airspace, so he can fly to Budapest for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said on Oct. 20.

20 October 2025, 10:40 PM

Ukrainian cargo ship sinks off Bulgaria after hull breach

Ukrainian EILEEN cargo ship sank off the coast of Bulgaria on Oct. 12, all ten crew members — Ukrainian nationals — were rescued by Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye coordinated effort, Maritime wrote on Oct. 13.

14 October 2025, 08:02 AM

EU to shut Moscow’s last land gas route by end of 2027

Bulgaria has backed the EU plan to end imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027, effectively shutting Moscow’s last pipeline route into the EU — which still supplies Hungary and Slovakia, Politico reported on Sept. 29.

30 September 2025, 02:10 PM

Bulgaria pledges to continue Russian gas transit, Hungary claims

Bulgaria has pledged to remain a reliable partner for Budapest in the transit of Russian gas, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed on Sept. 25, amid media reports that Sofia might halt transit in 2026.

26 September 2025, 01:01 PM

Bulgaria to end Russian gas contracts in 2026, PM says

Bulgaria will terminate its remaining import and transit contracts for Russian natural gas in 2026 and completely phase out Russia-sourced gas from its energy market by 2028, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said on Sept. 24.

24 September 2025, 11:51 PM

Bulgaria arrests Russian owner in 2020 Beirut port blast case

Bulgarian authorities arrested the Russian owner of the cargo ship carrying ammonium nitrate that caused the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the AP reported on Sept. 16.

16 September 2025, 09:49 PM

Poles look abroad for homes after Russian drone attack

After Russia’s Sept. 10 drone attack, in which more than 20 UAVs violated Polish airspace, Poles began searching more intensively for housing abroad, Gazeta Wyborcza reported, citing real estate market representatives on Sept. 16.

16 September 2025, 09:00 PM

Bulgaria believes Russia GPS jammed von der Leyen’s plane

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lost its GPS signal over Bulgaria after being jammed, in what Bulgarian authorities suspect was direct interference by Russia, Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta said on Sept. 1.

1 September 2025, 09:47 PM

Von der Leyen’s plane forced to land using paper maps due to suspected Russian GPS jamming

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was forced to land in Bulgaria using paper maps after a suspected disruption caused by Russian electronic warfare systems that jam GPS signals, Reuters reported, citing the Financial Times.

1 September 2025, 02:38 PM

Bulgarian police conduct large-scale searches at the request of Ukraine’s NABU

Bulgarian authorities are conducting searches in Sofia and other cities at the request of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, BTA reported on Aug. 12.

12 August 2025, 06:15 PM

Croatia incensed with Ukraine being closer to EU membership than West Balkan states

Brussels fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU application is a “brazen insult” to other candidate countries, such as Montenegro and North Macedonia, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on July 14.

15 July 2025, 01:19 AM

Greece proposes Alexandroupolis–Odesa logistics corridor

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis proposed a transport corridor project that would link Greece’s port of Alexandroupolis with Ukraine’s Odesa via Varna in Bulgaria and Constanta in Romania.

11 June 2025, 11:47 PM

Five-nation pact clears path for U.S. gas to Ukraine

Gas transportation system operators from Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine have agreed to deliver American liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece to Ukraine through the Trans-Balkan corridor, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reported on May 29.

29 May 2025, 01:53 PM

Six convicted for spying in UK for Moscow

A London court found six Bulgarian citizens guilty of espionage on Russia’s behalf, the Financial Times reported on May 12.

12 May 2025, 11:16 PM

Bulgaria slams Putin’s accusations on triggering Ukraine war as manipulation

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharply rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s accusations that Bulgaria provoked Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling them “gross manipulation,” Euractiv reported on May 8.

8 May 2025, 03:45 PM

Bulgaria rules out selling nuclear reactors to Ukraine

Bulgaria will not sell Ukraine two VVER-1000 nuclear reactors under a deal that was being negotiated for months, Deputy PM Atanas Zafirov said on April 15.

15 April 2025, 08:45 PM

$100 million gap stalls nuclear reactor deal between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Kyiv and Sofia continue negotiations on the purchase of Russian-built power units from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP), Interfax-Ukraine reported on April 14, citing MP Andriy Zhupanin's comments after the parliamentary energy committee's visit to KhNPP.

15 April 2025, 12:05 PM

Bulgaria

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