site.btaBulgaria Expels Two Russian Diplomats for Spying

September 23 (BTA) - Bulgaria is expelling two Russian diplomats for spying. The Foreign Ministry said the two have been declared persona non grata and the Russian Embassy has been notified. According to sources of Bulgarian National Television, the diplomats are Sergey Nikolashin and Vadim Bikov.

Earlier in the day the prosecution service said that Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev has informed the Foreign Minister that evidence has been collected about intelligence activities carrieed out on Bulgarian territory by two Russian nationals with diplomatic immunity. The prosecuting magistracy initiated pre-trial proceedings following alerts by the State Agency for National Security and the investigation has established that the two Russians had engaged in intelligence activities since 2016, seeking information about the plans to modernize the Bulgarian Army and the technical maintenance of military equipment.

According to the prosecuting magistracy, their objective was to convey on the gathered information, consisting of a state and official secret, to the Russian military intelligence in Moscow. The two alleged spies have established contacts with Bulgarian citizens, who had access to information related to the military industrial complex in Bulgaria. In certain cases, the Bulgarian citizens have been promised and given financial incentives.

Due to the diplomatic immunity of the two Russians, the criminal proceedings against them have been suspended, the prosecuting magistracy explained.

The two diplomats have 72 hours to leave the country, the Foreign Ministry said. RI/MY

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