site.btaMilitary Intelligence Report: Leading Nations Tend to Use Military Means to Resolve Disputes

In 2025, developments in the global security environment were dominated by a tendency to use force, particularly military means, to resolve disputes among leading nations and to advance their national interests, according to an annual report of the Military Intelligence Service, published on the website of the Council of Ministers.

According to the report, the accelerated arms race resulting from these trends has deepened existing risks and generated new threats of military escalation.

The document states that the war in Ukraine continues to be a destabilizing factor for both regional and international security. As a result of international sanctions, problems in the Russian economy have intensified, pushing it into a state of recession. Internationally, Moscow relied on a range of instruments, including diplomatic, military, economic, and energy tools, as well as hybrid operations to expand its influence in Africa and Asia and to create tensions within the Euro-Atlantic community. According to the report, Russia lost influence in Central Asia, South America, and the Middle East.

The report further states that comprehensive international support for Ukraine remains a strategically important factor that is critical to maintaining the country's defence capabilities. However, the unity and determination of Ukrainian society are being severely tested. Difficulties in carrying out mobilization, the critical condition of the country's energy system, and the significant deterioration of the humanitarian situation have fueled public dissatisfaction and weakened the country's capacity for resistance, according to Bulgaria's Military Intelligence Service.

The agency also notes that anti-corruption authorities continue to uncover cases of misconduct, while scandals involving senior government officials accused of misusing public funds continue to emerge.

Western Balkans

Regarding the Western Balkans, Bulgaria's Military Intelligence Service notes that the situation during the past year remained relatively stable, although the domestic political environment in some countries was complicated by ongoing civil and political protests against their governments.

Some countries made progress in their European Union accession negotiations, while others failed to fulfill commitments made to Brussels, instead seeking to revise previously agreed terms, including by seeking international support for these efforts. In this context, anti-Bulgarian rhetoric intensified, along with efforts to assimilate and further fragment Bulgarian minorities and communities in the region. The report also states that countries in the Western Balkans continued active efforts to discredit Bulgaria at both the international and regional levels.

Cyber Operations

According to the report, the negative trend of increasing hybrid threats continued, characterized by the growing use of innovative technologies, including content generated by artificial intelligence.

The scope and targets of offensive cyber operations against critical systems in NATO and EU member states, including Bulgaria, have expanded, while malicious independent and state-sponsored cyber actors have adopted new methods and tools to carry out such operations. The report also notes a significant increase in the risk of diversion and sabotage targeting elements of critical infrastructure.