site.btaPrime Minister Zhelyazkov: Bulgaria Faces Hybrid Attacks Over Eurozone Accession, with Russian Involvement

“If you closely follow developments, you’ll notice the strong hybrid attacks targeting Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone,” said Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to journalists following his meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean.

In response to a question about how Bulgaria is countering disinformation campaigns, Zhelyazkov confirmed that there is concrete evidence of Russian involvement in these efforts. He noted that disinformation techniques are also being used to influence the Bulgarian community in Taraclia, particularly through language-based manipulation.

“That’s why we want the Bulgarians in Taraclia to use the Bulgarian language more actively, and why our efforts are focused on education,” the Prime Minister explained.

Zhelyazkov highlighted the shared historical experiences of Bulgaria and Moldova under Soviet influence. “In this respect, we are very similar to Moldova. Moldova was a Soviet republic, and Bulgaria—at one point almost a candidate Soviet republic—remained the USSR’s most loyal ally within COMECON and the Warsaw Pact.”

He warned that Russia’s influence continues to operate through traditional narratives, portraying certain countries as belonging to the so-called ‘Russian World’ and asserting presumed rights over the national self-determination of others.

“I am certain that both Bulgaria and Moldova are experiencing a kind of semi-hybrid influence,” Zhelyazkov stated.
According to him, this influence manifests in two primary ways. Politically, through official public actors—parties or individuals whose views align closely with Russian narratives, and through efforts to erode public trust in Bulgaria’s strategic choice of full membership in the EU and NATO, as well as in Moldova’s pro-European path.