PM and FM Seek Expert Support from Christo Grozev to Tackle Hybrid Warfare Ahead of Elections in Bulgaria

Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov and Acting Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski held a meeting with investigative journalist Christo Grozev to discuss the growing challenges Bulgaria faces from external interference, disinformation, and hybrid operations. The conversation focused on risks linked to manipulation campaigns and active measures, particularly in the context of the upcoming early parliamentary elections.

Grozev has been invited to contribute to a government mechanism set up within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at countering disinformation and responding to hybrid threats. During the discussion, he shared insights from his work uncovering espionage networks and foreign influence operations, including recent cases involving Russian agents across the European Union. He also referred to findings by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which confirmed that arms dealer Emilian Gebrev had been poisoned with a substance from the Novichok group.

Gyurov and Neynski outlined plans to establish a coordinated institutional framework that would enable a faster and more structured response to such threats, including attempts at information manipulation. Grozev agreed to support these efforts by providing data and analysis gathered through his investigations over the years. According to the Council of Ministers, tackling hybrid risks and foreign interference will also involve cooperation at the European level, making use of mechanisms developed by the European Commission.