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Bulgarian Activists Claim Discovery of Secret Wagner Group Base Linked to “Terrorist Activity”
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A Bulgarian civil association BOEC has claimed it uncovered a site linked to Russia’s Wagner private military company (PMC) near the village of Kladnitsa in the Pernik region, Bulgarian outlet Novinite reported on February 9.
The BOEC said it found a small guarded building in the mountains above the village, which it believes is being used as a base for “terrorist activity.”
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The Wagner Group is subject to international sanctions and is considered a terrorist organization by some countries, including the UK and Ukraine. Other governments, such as the US and EU, classify it as a criminal organization and have imposed sanctions. While labels differ, Wagner is widely recognized as a violent state-linked armed group responsible for serious abuses, Reuters previously reported.
Beyond Ukraine, Wagner had operated across Africa and the Middle East, engaging in conflicts in countries such as Mali, Libya, Syria, and the Central African Republic.
In Mali, Wagner fighters were deployed to support the junta against insurgent groups after French forces withdrew, though their presence sowed tension within the Malian military and drew accusations of human rights abuses.
In a live social media broadcast, BOEC leader Georgi Georgiev alleged that individuals at the location wore clothing marked with Wagner insignia, while both the Russian flag and Wagner emblem were visible on the property, Novinite wrote.
BOEC said it filed an immediate report with Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior, warning of armed personnel and symbols tied to a sanctioned paramilitary organization on Bulgarian territory.
Georgiev criticized what he described as a lack of institutional response, suggesting authorities may be failing to act despite the seriousness of the allegations, according to Novinite.
Earlier, a Russian military convoy operating under the Ministry of Defense’s so-called “Africa Corps” was ambushed near the town of Ménaka in northeastern Mali, resulting in the deaths of several personnel and the seizure of a military vehicle.
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
-735453083fcda77530df7bdd7f40db1c.png "Masked Russian T-72B3 tank moments before being burned by Ukrainian FPV-drones. (Source: umftteam/X)")
