In July 2019, the Bulgarian parliament ratified the agreement with US defense company Lockheed Martin for the purchase of eight F-16s, with the option to buy eight more aircraft later ( Investor.bg, July 10, 2019).
#Russian espionage upgrade
Russia’s intelligence operations in Bulgaria have markedly intensified since the government in Sofia decided to upgrade the country’s Air Force with F-16 fighter jets procured from the United States and gradually retire most of its Soviet-era aircraft. Bulgarian National Television reported the Russian diplomats are Maxim Ribkin, first secretary in the Russian embassy, and Alexander Zinkin, the second secretary ( Balkan Insight, March 22). Sofia subsequently expelled two Russian diplomats for involvement in espionage against Bulgaria ( Duma.bg, March 22). On March 19, Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General publicly announced the charges and disclosed surveillance details, including phone calls and videotapes ( Mediapool.bg, March 19). Six Bulgarian citizens, including three active defense ministry personnel, were arrested on March 18 and charged with espionage for obtaining classified information on Bulgaria, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union and providing it to Russian embassy officials in Sofia. On the eve of a critical parliamentary election on April 4, the Bulgarian authorities have exposed a major case of espionage on behalf of Russia, which entangles several high-ranking defense ministry officials. First time published on The Jamestown Foundation’s web page.
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