Bulgaria criticized for omitting Russia in Leipzig sabotage response

Vesela Cherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, has criticized the Bulgarian government's official stance regarding a recent sabotage incident in Germany. Following German authorities' findings that an explosive-laden drone discovered near Leipzig/Halle Airport in August was part of a Russian sabotage operation, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed solidarity with Germany, stating that “hybrid attacks against our partners and allies are unacceptable.”

However, Cherneva noted that Bulgaria is the only EU member state that failed to explicitly mention Russia in its official position. She argued that this omission suggests a lack of commitment to collective European security and could signal instability to international investors. Cherneva highlighted that such hybrid warfare tactics are designed to create social tension and polarization, benefiting political forces sympathetic to Russia. She further suggested that the failure to name the perpetrator in both the Leipzig incident and the sabotage of warehouses near Tryavna undermines confidence in Bulgarian institutions' ability to uphold security standards.