Western veterans trained Russians in a camp near Gabrovo - this is what an intelligence report prepared for an Australian intelligence service claims.
„This sounds extremely frivolous. I remember which places they are talking about - a training ground has been built there for a long time, where people who are involved in security activities are trained. How do you imagine these Russian soldiers entering Bulgaria, training and no one finding out. This is another piece of crap“, he said in „Face to Face“ former Minister of Defense Krassimir Karakachanov.
„Because we don't react and we have become a scapegoat. Everywhere in Europe, if they decide to play at hunting Russian spies, they chase Bulgarians and we keep quiet. Now they will taunt us for training Russian soldiers. It's not serious," said Karakachanov.
According to him, with these restrictive measures in place, it is impossible for people from Russia to come and train.
“Do you think that Russia, which is armed to the teeth, has nowhere to train its soldiers and will send them to Gabrovo?“, asked Krasimir Karakachanov, adding that the Russians have thousands of training grounds and there is no logic in such a statement.
According to him, someone is either looking for a sensation or has "heard or misheard."
Meanwhile, a report by the US Congress found that Bulgaria is particularly vulnerable to Russian hybrid attacks.
“Wherever Bulgaria is criticized or spat upon in an international report, in 99% of cases it is based on denunciations, slander and fabrications written by domestic NGOs“, said Karakachanov.
„Naturally, it can be expected that we will be the object of hybrid attacks. God forbid that they will be others. Here, the question is not to read the reports, but to ask what is being done to prevent such dangers“, also in the opinion of the former Minister of Defense.
„We are vulnerable not only in terms of hybrid attacks and Russia. This whole tension in the world, in the Balkans - and specifically in Bulgaria, not only Russia has its interests and pursues them. When we talk about hybrid attacks, we need to build a system and be able to protect ourselves from all potentially dangerous directions“, believes Krasimir Karakachanov.