Russia's aggressive behavior, hybrid attacks, disinformation, intelligence activity against Bulgaria and the excessive use of antibiotics are among the main risks to national security. This is stated in the annual report of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), published by the Council of Ministers.
According to the analysis, the Kremlin is using an evolving hybrid toolkit to destroy the consensus in support of Ukraine, hinder the expansion of NATO and the EU and overcome the consequences of the imposed sanctions. Among the means are the concentration of military forces, threats with nuclear weapons, intelligence operations, economic influence through energy carriers, cyberattacks and propaganda campaigns.
The report also notes that the instability in the Western Balkans, stimulated by both external and internal factors, generates risks for security and the realization of Bulgarian national interests.
DANS emphasizes that hybrid attacks in 2024 covered a wide spectrum — from diplomacy and the economy to cyberspace and energy, with particular attention paid to interference in domestic political processes and elections.
The agency reports a consistently high level of intelligence activity by foreign services in our country. Among the main threats are the influence on political decisions, the replacement of national identity, the manipulation of public attitudes and the creation of dependencies. In 2024 Several cases of espionage have been thwarted, including the activities of Russian agents and operations by intelligence agents posing as Bulgarians.
The National Security Agency also reports as a threat socio-economic processes such as corruption in the use of European funds, abuse of public procurement, tension in the energy system and problems in the health sector - especially the growing antimicrobial resistance due to the excessive use of antibiotics.
The report also highlights deficiencies in water resource management, the illegal import of prohibited plant protection products, problems with environmental protection, as well as the risks of illegal logging and the distribution of unsuitable food products.