site.btaVazrazhdane Claims Ukrainian Criminal Group Operates in Bulgaria, Authorities Silent

Representatives of the Vazrazhdane party told a news conference in Varna on Monday that illegal construction and mass logging were taking place in the Baba Alino area between Kabakum and the Golden Sands resort, the party's press centre said. According to Vazrazhdane, the issue involves excavations without reinforcement, buildings without construction permits, and the destruction of hectares of old-growth forests, which threatens both nature and the lives of local people.

Participating in the briefing were Chairman Kostadin Kostadinov, Deputy Chairman Georgi Georgiev, Kosta Stoyanov MP and municipal councillor Yulian Gubatov.

Kostadinov stressed the role of Ukrainian businessmen and their affiliated networks, saying that this is not only an environmental or construction problem but also a matter of national security. "We are talking about a serious foreign intelligence-linked criminal network that operates not only in Varna but along the entire Black Sea coast. We have data showing that through these properties, huge sums are being laundered, hundreds of millions of leva every month, some of which are connected to Ukrainian military formations," he said.

He added that an enclave was in the making, territories in Varna, Burgas and other regions where these people are settling with their families and building influence. According to him, there are also indications of illegal arms trafficking, while the area around Varna is already being guarded by armed groups.

"We all see expensive cars with Ukrainian licence plates in the streets. These are not refugees but organized structures using Bulgaria as their turf to conceal and expand their activities," the Vazrazhdane leader said.

"In Bulgaria, there are about 100,000 officially registered Ukrainian citizens, called 'refugees'. But they are not refugees, they are tourists. Many of them are men of active age, whom we see every day in the streets of Varna. This is the most dangerous thing: small local groups are being created with their own armed wings," Kostadinov said.

Vazrazhdane insists that state authorities investigate the case and put an end to the illegal construction and logging.

"What is happening is not just a violation, but a crime of international proportions. We expect the prosecuting magistracy and the institutions to intervene, because the lives of people and the security of the state are at stake," the Vazrazhdane representatives said.