A series of explosions struck the EMCO ammunition factory near Tryavna in central Bulgaria on Monday evening, prompting the evacuation of all 300 workers and nearby residents. Bulgaria's Interior Minister Ivan Demardzhiev stated the cause is likely internal, with no evidence of external interference. EMCO is a major private arms manufacturer that has been supplying ammunition to Ukraine.
The explosions at the EMCO factory in central Bulgaria, which began when a truck caught fire and spread to a warehouse storing ammunition, mark the latest in a series of unexplained incidents at the company's facilities, following similar events in 2011, 2022, and 2023, according to the company. The facility, located near the town of Tryavna, is owned by Emilian Gabrev and is one of the largest private ammunition producers in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Interior Ministry has ruled out external interference, attributing the blasts to an internal cause. All 300 workers and residents of nearby communities were evacuated as a safety measure. No casualties have been reported.
EMCO's role as a supplier of ammunition to Ukraine places the incident in the context of the broader war. Bulgaria has been a significant though sometimes reluctant arms supplier to Kyiv. While the government has shifted policy in recent months — the new defense minister halted arms deliveries in June — the cause of this explosion remains under investigation, with the interior minister noting that previous probes into the company's fires have reached dead ends.
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