The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov said that Vladimir Putin will attack Bulgaria if Ukraine loses the war, UNIAN reported.
Budanov warned the countries that were in Moscow's sphere of influence during the Cold War that they would be the next victims of Russian aggression if the worst-case scenario were to happen in Ukraine, namely that the country loses the war.
„If we [Ukrainians] are gone, Poland is next. I'm telling you this directly and you shouldn't be afraid, you should understand it. Next are the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria“, warned Budanov.
Kirill Budanov said that the Russian Federation is not perceived as a federation, but as an empire. Western capitals warn that Putin will not stop at Ukraine if he wins the war, but will invade the Baltic states.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, NATO countries increased their defense spending and sent additional forces to their eastern flank, but according to some experts, the alliance is still not sufficiently prepared for a potential Russian attack.