Law enforcement teams search homes and offices in multiple cities at Kyiv’s request, but no arrests have been made so far.
Bulgarian authorities searched the homes and offices of arms dealers across the country Tuesday as part of a corruption investigation launched by Ukraine, officials said.
The raids, carried out in multiple regions including Sofia, followed a request for legal assistance from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, which is probing alleged overpricing in arms sales to Kyiv.
Acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Miroslav Rashkov said no arrests had been made and that the searches were being conducted under the supervision of the National Investigation Service. Teams from the Interior Ministry’s organized crime unit, the gendarmerie and special operations forces took part.
The Supreme Prosecution Office of Cassation said it was overseeing the searches, which form part of an international effort to combat corruption and abuse in the arms trade. Bulgarian officials have not named the targets of the raids or confirmed whether any evidence has been found.
Ukrainian investigators allege certain intermediaries, including foreign-based arms dealers, profited from wartime defense contracts by inflating prices. It is unclear whether any seized materials will be shared directly with Ukrainian authorities.
Bulgaria is a producer and transit hub for weapons supplied to Ukraine, with exports surging since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Many deliveries are routed through intermediaries before reaching Ukrainian buyers, a process now under scrutiny in several countries.
Rashkov said the operation remained underway Tuesday afternoon and declined to speculate on possible arrests or charges.
