The photograph on the left was published by Marina Nacheva in connection with her alleged ties to consular services in Varna. The photograph on the right was shared on the Facebook page of the Bulgarian Socialist Party in Varna.
The leftist BSP, a successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party, which ruled Bulgaria from 1946 to 1990, is staunchly pro-Kremlin. In the last election campaign, the party boasted that “Russia Is Our Friend” in a billboard campaign in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv. The BSP currently has 20 deputies in the country’s 240-seat unicameral parliament.
Further evidence appearing to link Nacheva to the alleged underground consulate can been found on her personal Facebook page, including images of her in group photos captioned “Consular Reception In Varna.”
RFE/RL analysis of photos of BSP meetings held at its Varna office indicate that the setting is the same as photos of the “consular reception” posted by Nacheva.
Little else is known about Nacheva. References on the Internet indicate that she attended several events at the Russian Consulate in Varna before it was officially closed. She is also listed on several websites as the chairwoman of an association called Russians-21st Century; however, no such group is recorded in Bulgaria’s commercial register.
Deteriorating Ties
Traditionally close allies, relations between Russia and Bulgaria have worsened in recent years. In September 2023, the Bulgarian government expelled the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia and two Belarusian priests, accusing them of serving Moscow’s geopolitical interests.
In February, Sofia banned two Russian citizens from entering Bulgaria and the entire European Union for five years over their alleged role in a security services operation.
Russia’s current ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova, has been accused of using her post to defend and spread disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tar those who oppose it. That has prompted many in Bulgaria to call for her expulsion.
For what Russia regarded as hostile moves, Bulgaria was added to the Kremlin’s official list of “enemy countries” shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Operating an underground consulate at the headquarters of a political party would be illegal under Bulgarian law, as the diplomatic service is built on the principle of nonpartisanship.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL’s Bulgarian Service that it was not aware of any Russian diplomatic activities taking place at the Varna address.
RFE/RL also sent questions to the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria and to the BSP, asking about the reported consular services. At the time of publication, no responses had been received.
Tony Wesolowsky contributed to this story.
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Publish date : 2024-11-15 07:14:00
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