Bulgaria investigates explosion and fires at EMCO munitions warehouse

Blast at Gorni Varpishta warehouse

An explosion followed by fires broke out on the evening of Friday, 11 September 2026, at an ammunition storage warehouse near Gorni Varpishta in central Bulgaria. The site is operated by private Bulgarian arms manufacturer EMCO, whose manufactured munitions are used in Ukraine. Emergency workers and police evacuated employees from the premises and established a security cordon around the facility. Officials confirmed on 12 September 2026 that the blast caused no casualties and that the nearest village lies more than one kilometer away from the depot.

Investigations and state response

Prosecutors in the city of Gabrovo opened an investigation into suspected arson to establish the cause of the blaze. Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev stated during a press conference that there was no danger of the fire spreading to other storage units or beyond the perimeter of the facility. Demerdzhiev noted that storage sites had exhibited certain security shortcomings, though investigators were pursuing multiple avenues.

“All hypotheses are being considered and we are examining them carefully.”

President Iliana Iotova announced on Saturday that she was considering convening the National Security Council, a consultative body comprising senior political, defense, and military officials, in response to the recurrence of facility fires.

“Cases of explosions in ammunition depots have become more frequent.”

Dispute over facility security and sabotage claims

EMCO rejected suggestions of operational lapses, asserting that the depot underwent regular inspections by regulatory authorities and complied with all existing standards. In an official statement, the manufacturer maintained that securing areas outside defense installations remains the responsibility of state agencies. The company dismissed human error as a possible factor, stating that recent incidents were orchestrated by external forces and accusing government officials of inaction regarding sabotage against defense assets.

“The negligent attitude of state representatives toward these acts of sabotage encourages the perpetrators, allowing them to continue with impunity.”

Pattern of European defense facility disruptions

The blaze represents the second fire at an EMCO installation since August 2026, when a fire broke out at another company depot in the same region. EMCO is owned by defense entrepreneur Emilian Gebrev, who survived a 2015 poisoning attempt alongside his son and an executive, a case in which Bulgarian prosecutors indicted three Russian nationals. Bulgarian authorities also previously indicted six Russian citizens for terrorism in connection with four remote-triggered explosions at Bulgarian defense facilities between 2011 and 2020, which prosecutors linked to attempts to interrupt arms supplies to Georgia and Ukraine. The incident follows other security episodes across Europe, including an August 2026 blast at a KNDS ammunition plant near Rome, incendiary devices thrown near Munich defense offices in early September 2026, and accusations by German authorities in summer 2026 regarding a planned explosive drone attack attributed to Russia.