State movement “Russophiles” accused of espionage Nikolay Malinov, National Political Party “Revival” and other rising “stars” of the pro-Kremlin sky as SRB “Russophiles Bulgaria”: 51-year-old Emil * has passed through their member or close associate. He joined the pro-Russian circles in Bulgaria around 2014.

He claims that while he was a member of the Russophile community and found a danger to national security, he sent signals to the authorities. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Emil declared war on the war, and the threats were not long in coming. “In one of the social networks they sent me a recording of the execution so that I would have one thing in mind,” he told the State Gazette.

What is the Kremlin’s strategy for Bulgaria?

What is the reason for the swarming of pro-Russian organizations in Bulgaria – political and public, non-governmental? The answer is simple. From “Attack”, through “Revival”, to the recently established party of Stefan Yanev – the prophesied electorate and sympathizers in Moscow have always been the object of serious interest and courtship from the powerful of the day.

A national security expert and a former employee of the sector, who requested anonymity **, told the State Gazette that back in 2015, Moscow decided to stop financial support for Ataka. The reason for this, according to him, was the marginal situation that the party set itself. Traditionally, the Kremlin-friendly BSP, according to the Russians themselves, has been weakening.

“Until the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia conducted hybrid operations only in countries of the former Soviet Union. After that, it began to do so around the world,” the former official said. At the same time, he emphasizes that Moscow years ago was well aware that over time its influence in Bulgaria is declining, and its prospects, including in the energy sphere, are very limited. The Kremlin is well aware that the attitude towards major Russian projects in Bulgaria is negative, as people are associated with corruption and the enrichment of the local oligarchy, she said.

In its strategy for Bulgaria, the Kremlin maintains direct forces in places and means and special bets on the game with minorities, pro-Russian forces such as parties and NGOs, economic dependence and investment, the expert added. Russia has come to the conclusion that concepts such as “fraternal peoples” and “cousins” are already worn out and do not work.

The case of the poisoning of the arms manufacturer Emilian Gebrev and the explosions in a number of Bulgarian military factories, in which the prosecutor’s office found a Russian connection over the years, make an exception to the general policy in order not to use force. At the same time, swarming and internal competition between pro-Russian organizations and parties in Bulgaria in recent years has declined with the described strategy. As early as 2015, intelligence spotted Russian military instructors training “Bulgarian patriots” in the Gabrovo Balkans, the national security expert said.

In 2016 and 2017, the German television ZDF and the Italian RAI 3 showed extended reports, the Varna-based pro-Russian paramilitary organization Military Union “Vasil Levski” was trained in Russian. She and the information with her BNO “Shipka” have repeatedly called for a coup d’etat over the years.

After the accusations against Malinov: new flag bearers

After the accusations against Nikolay Malinov in the Russophile circles in Bulgaria, a change has taken place. The new leaders do not shine with bright political and propaganda theses and position themselves in the paramilitary and security spectrum. Emil claims that the little-known Russophile Bulgaria Union has improved a lot of support at the expense of Malinov’s movement, after the latter was brought to justice in 2019. Before SG Em caused the weakening of the structure with fear in her followers. “Russophiles in Bulgaria are weak. That’s what makes them so dangerous,” he said. “Malinov’s organization is currently eaten away, it has been destroyed.”

The leader of the Russophile Bulgaria Union, an unregistered organization, introduces himself as Maxim Suvorov and can be seen in photos with Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova on the Internet. He is the organizer of the protection of the monument to the Soviet Army and the procession “Immortal Regiment” in Sofia. In his Facebook profile, Suvorov demonstrated the support of his NGO for a single political force – “Vazrazhdane”.

It is not entirely clear from Emil’s account whether, in his opinion, the main purpose of the unregistered union in Sue is to spread Russian theses and demonstrate presence, or simply to collect membership fees. Another phantom society is associated with this organization – “International Diplomacy for Peace”. According to Emil, this wants to promote the ideas of Russian peace and peace, as well as to better position its own leadership.

The membership card of International Diplomacy for Peace mimics the symbols and logo of the United Nations. In broken English, the document presents the holder as a diplomat and an “approved agent of the United Nations.” Such an organization also does not exist either in the Bulgarian registers or in the structures of the United Nations.

Bulgaria – in the epicenter of Eastern Russophilia

Another leader and deputy of Suvorov in the two phantom organizations is the Hungarian Tamas Yenyo Sekeres, an international “star” of Bulgarian Russophilia. At the 2018 Vazrazhdane meeting, leader Kostadin Kostadinov presented him to the party asset as a member of the Hungarian nationalist Jobbik party and Vazrazhdane itself. Started as a far-right extremist and anti-Semitic organization, Jobbik is now turning to more moderate political conservatism. He has 10 seats in parliament in Budapest and one MEP. Sekeres is also a former candidate for the European Parliament of “Vazrazhdane”.

“Everyone liked Tamas very quickly because of my activity and activity,” Emil recalled. The name of the Hungarian was first mentioned by the Bulgarian media in 2016 on the occasion of the “rewarding” with fictitious military ranks of refugee hunters Dinko Valev, Petar Nizamov and border guard Vulkan Hambarliev, who in 2015 killed an Afghan after a ricochet.

Who controls pro-Russian organizations?

The question of whether the Bulgarian services retain private control over the pro-Russian organizations on the page remains unclear. Such control should be taken care of by SANS, but SANS has been breached, the former security sector employee commented to the State Gazette. There are currently entire departments in the service that are not loyal to Bulgaria, Emil is convinced.

The source also commented that the non-governmental organizations, contact the former employees in the law enforcement agencies and structures with a military-oriented orientation, are full of uncritical supporters of Putin. He also claims that some of the participants in the pro-Russian demonstrations in recent months have received money that goes through the popular criminal hero from Northern Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian and Russian services, including at present, maintain the working lines of communication, every national security expert. A recent example of this is the access to the sea from the ship “Tsarevna”, which was blocked in Mariupol. The Bulgarians were still on board, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced in April that he was conducting a special operation for the outskirts of the city, in which Sofia was communicating with both Ukraine and Russia.

While the prosecutor’s office is dealing with publications such as Russian spies and Russophilia, which are attractive for publications, so far there is no indication that Bulgarian events are interested in the possible participation of people close to the government in big business scandals with Russian participation and corruption potential.

* Identity changed.

** The editorial office has the names of the interviewees