Russia and unstable Balkans are threat to national security

In Bulgaria, two Russian intelligence officers with false identities were neutralized in 2024. A Bulgarian civil servant from the "International Cooperation" sector of the police was detained for providing information to the Russian services. Another 19 foreigners suspected of having ties to Russian intelligence were identified and included in the list of those undesirable in the country.

The SANS report paints a particularly worrying picture for the Western Balkans region, which remains a zone of instability and growing risks for Bulgaria. The agency specifically warns of the negative impact on Bulgarian communities in some Balkan countries, BGNES reports.