Adversary Intelligence — 2026-04-13

Bulgaria Enlists Bellingcat Investigator Grozev to Counter Russian Intelligence Operations Ahead of April 19 Elections

Bulgaria has enlisted renowned OSINT investigator Christo Grozev as an adviser to a newly established counter-hybrid-threats unit under the Foreign Ministry ahead of parliamentary elections on April 19. Grozev, who exposed GRU officers behind the Skripal poisoning and is wanted by Russia, has warned that Bulgaria is a soft target with a high concentration of Russian operatives. Bulgaria has requested activation of the EU Rapid Alert System, citing evidence of Russian disinformation campaigns targeting its eurozone bid and a domestic amplification ecosystem of partisan outlets and Telegram channels.

Analysis
Hiring Grozev, personally wanted by Moscow, is both a counter-disinformation play and a political signal. His Bellingcat work naming GRU officers makes him toxic to Russian intelligence services, which constrains the channels available for influence operations. The structural vulnerability is more instructive than the immediate threat: Bulgaria's lack of any national authority for systematic disinformation monitoring means the institutional capacity disappears with Grozev's temporary appointment. Whether this counter-disinformation capacity survives the April 19 election, regardless of outcome, will show whether the infrastructure was institutional or personality-dependent.

2 sources

Inside the disinformation surge shaping Bulgaria election - EU Perspectives
Bulgaria taps Christo Grozev expertise to counter disinformation ahead of snap vote - EU Alive