Bulgarian presidential candidate Gyurov: Explosion at ammo depot is a test of statehood

The explosion at an Emco ammunition depot in Bulgaria is not a pre-election ploy, it is a test of statehood, presidential candidate and former caretaker prime minister Andrei Gyurov said on Facebook on September 12.

As The Sofia Globe reported earlier, the fire at the Emco munitions facility broke out on the night of September 11 and continued into the morning of September 12, and came after a fire at another Emco plant on August 10.

Emco production is used by Ukraine to defend itself against Russia. Bulgaria’s pro-Western opposition has linked the fires at the Emco plants to Russia’s campaign of sabotage in Europe.

President Iliana Yotova, who is seeking election as head of state in the autumn and has the backing of Roumen Radev’s ruling party, said on September 12 that she is “considering” convening the Consultative Council on National Security.

Since becoming president in January 2026, Yotova has yet to convene the council, which is required by law to meet every three months. She has ignored opposition calls for it to meet.

Gyurov, who is standing as a candidate backed by the pro-Western Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue the Change, said: “Once again, there has been an explosion and fire at military depots. We have seen a series of such incidents, both in Bulgaria and across Europe”.

There is proven hostile interest in Bulgaria’s arms infrastructure, Gyurov said.

“Therefore, the public has the right to ask: who is guarding the state?” he said.

The President is neither a firefighter, nor a prosecutor, nor an investigator, Gyurov said.

Yet, the presidency is the institution that must insist on a clear threat assessment, effective intelligence operations, and the resolute protection of national security, he said.

“We cannot afford to be naïve,” Gyurov said.

“With a second such incident occurring in such a short span of time, the question is not merely ‘What exploded?’ —the question is: ‘Who guarantees that our state is secure?’

“That is why I have publicly called today for the convening of the Consultative Council on National Security; it is time for the institutions to provide clear answers and assume responsibility for the state’s security,” Gyurov said.

(Photo via Gyurov’s Facebook page)