OREANDA-NEWS. According to the report on the official website of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Bulgaria, the first secretary of the Russian Embassy is suspected in espionage.

The name of the diplomat was not called. On the website of the embassy it is indicated that nine people occupy this position.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, since September 2018, Russian diplomat passed information which was a state secret.

According to the agency, Russian diplomat regularly spoke with Bulgarian citizens, including senior officials who have access to classified information. This information concerned Bulgaria, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is noted that Russian diplomat offered material rewards to obtain such data.

In connection with the incident, the Bulgarians “expressed a wish” that the first secretary should leave the territory of Bulgaria before the end of October 28. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, the person has already left it. Russian information agency RIA Novosti reported that the representative of the Russian Embassy in Sofia refused to comment the incident.

In September 2019, Bulgaria accused Nikolai Malinov, the chairman of the national movement “Rusophiles”, of spying. The Prosecutor's Office stated that he collected information about the domestic and foreign policies of Bulgaria. At the same month, Bulgaria banned Konstantin Malofeev, the chairman of the group of companies “Tsargrad”, from entering the country in connection with the charges of espionage.