Russia’s Hybrid War Targets Bulgaria and Bulgarian Students in Occupied Territories, Says Foreign Minister

Russia is employing propaganda and hybrid methods against countries it views as hostile, including Bulgaria, according to Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev. In a written response to a question posed by deputies from "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), Georgiev (GERB) stated that Russia uses all possible avenues - especially in the spheres of education and culture - to promote its political propaganda.

The deputies asked if Bulgarian diplomacy would formally protest Russia's recent anti-Bulgarian attacks, citing a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Zakharova had accused Bulgarian authorities and the Bulgarian National Television of persecuting Russian language teachers and Russia-friendly NGOs, describing the situation as a classic “witch hunt” reminiscent of totalitarian practices from the last century.

In his response, Georgiev said that data from the Ministry of Education show certain student competitions have been used to push Russian geopolitical narratives, and some collaborations between Bulgarian schools and pro-Russian organizations involve practices that are entirely unacceptable. He also emphasized that Russian language instruction in Bulgarian schools has not been restricted or banned in any way.

Georgiev highlighted that Russia's stance on educational rights is contradictory and inconsistent. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 30,000 Bulgarians, most from the Zaporizhzhia region, have lived under Russian occupation and have seen their right to study Bulgarian curtailed. Bulgarian Sunday schools in Melitopol and Berdyansk, which are funded by Bulgaria, have been forced to stop offering in-person classes. The Bulgarian-Ukrainian lyceum in Primorsk has also been shut down.

In response to Zakharova’s accusations, Georgiev firmly rejected her narrative. He said that Russia’s attempt to paint Bulgaria’s legitimate and transparent actions as a “witch hunt” was a gross manipulation of the facts. He also underscored that calling the country’s efforts to counter Russian propaganda “Russophobia” is a distortion of the documented evidence of hybrid attacks targeting democratic institutions in Bulgaria.