The Chairman of the State Agency for National Security, Plamen Tonchev, warned that future acts of sabotage are not excluded on the territory of Bulgaria. He made the statement during a hearing in the National Assembly dedicated to the arson of antennas for communication with the Starlink satellite system near Sofia.
“Similar acts of sabotage are not excluded in the future“, said Tonchev. According to him, SANS daily identifies individuals who monitor critical infrastructure, including railway bridges and railway stations.
The investigation into the arson continues
The case with the antennas was discussed together with the attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. The site is located in the area of the village of Plana and is connected to the communication infrastructure of “Starlink“, whose services are also used by Ukraine for military purposes.
Tonchev indicated that the investigation is being worked on jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the prosecutor's office. He reported that part of the fence of the site had been removed, which facilitated access for the perpetrators. Who is behind the arson and what the motive is has not yet been publicly established.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the operation is being carried out together with partner services, but called on the chairman of SANS not to reveal details that could hinder the investigation. In the meantime, the Ministry of Interior has taken additional measures to protect similar communication facilities in the country.
SANS retains the unit for the Russian direction
In parliament, Tonchev assured that the service has sufficient personnel capabilities to counter the actions of the Russian special services. He stated that not a single employee has been dismissed or transferred from the directorate that works on the Russian direction.
According to him, the number of management positions has been reduced at the expense of operational workers. Tonchev defined the restructuring as a measure to increase the analytical, technical and operational capabilities of the agency.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, bntnews.bg, stolica.bg