In connection with the statements made on July 18, 2025 by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Ms. Maria Zakharova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria states the following:
Such aggressive claims are completely unfounded, devoid of evidence and categorically false. The Republic of Bulgaria is a full member of the European Union and NATO, organizations based on shared democratic values and principles, and consistently fulfills its commitments to comply with strict export control standards.
We apply the highest requirements of transparency, accountability and international legal control in the field of arms transfer, and any action in this area is subject to strict supervision by national and allied competent institutions and bodies.
Claims such as those launched by official representatives of the Russian Federation represent another episode of the hostile disinformation campaign, part of a larger hybrid attack aimed at discrediting NATO and EU member states that support Ukraine in its just self-defense against the illegal full-scale Russian military aggression.
Earlier, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the smuggling of Western weapons across the border with Ukraine, in which, according to the Kremlin, Poland, Finland, Romania and Bulgaria are involved, reported TASS.
“A whole hub for arms smuggling from Ukraine has been created in the Balkans. Sales are not carried out through some gray schemes on the Internet, but literally in the open, as they say. The newly admitted to NATO Finland has also been added to the new transit points (...) Sea routes from the port of Odessa to Bulgaria, Turkey, Montenegro and African countries are actively used for smuggling. There are also air routes from the western regions of Ukraine. With the help of airplanes, these same smuggled weapons are, of course, also delivered to the Middle East, which we also talked about,” Zakharova said.