Russian Embassy in Sofia

The Ministry of Defence in Sofia, Bulgaria. Derzsi Elekes Andor, Wikipedia, Creative Commons 4.0

The head of the Russian Defense Ministry mission to the Russian embassy in Sofia has become the sixth Russian diplomat expelled from the country in the last two years

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not comment on Bulgaria's refusal to issue a visa to the military attaché to the Russian embassy in Sofia, said ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova. Moscow will act in accordance with the principle of reciprocity in diplomacy, RIA Novosti reported.

This was stated by our Foreign Minister during her visit to Moscow, reported NOVA TV.

Bulgaria is interested in an equal and mutually beneficial dialogue with Russia. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said in an interview with TASS. 

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday strongly criticised the Russian embassy in Sofia for organising an exhibition commemorating "75 years of the liberation of Eastern Europe from Nazism", which will take place on September 9 in Bulgaria's capital.

With an official announcement on its website, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry expressed its disappointment that the Russian embassy in Sofia has reprinted an article from a Facebook page containing abusive qualifications about Bulgarians who protested in the center of the capital city in front of a Christmas tree donated by Moscow, reported the Bulgarian National Radio. 

''Russia is not a threat to Bulgaria.'' This was stated by General Prosecutor of Russia Yuri Chayka during his meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, a reporter at BGNES reported.

A teenage singer from the Balkans narrowly missed seizing the crown at the 2017 Eurovision song contest staged in Kiev Ukraine on Saturday night.

Juries were wowed by 17-year-old Kristian Kostov's song "Beautiful Mess" despite a brief row over the youngster's brief appearance in a Russian TV show in Russian-occupied Crimea - a sensitive subject in Ukraine.

Tighter security measures continue to be in effect around the Russian diplomatic missions in Bulgaria, BNR said.

After the  terrorist attack at the St. Petersburg metro, there is an enhanced police presence in front of the Russian embassy in Sofia and the consular offices in Varna and Rousse. Security has been reinforced at the Russian Cultural information Centre in Sofia. 

Russian aircraft corporation RSK MiG has warned it would stop abiding by its maintenance obligations with regard to the MiG-29 jets in service with the Bulgarian Air Force.