The Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria in its report defined the military aggression of the Russian Federation as the most immediate threat to global peace and stated that the Russian army is committing systematic war crimes in Ukraine.
Euractiv writes about it.
The Ministry of Defense published a report on the state of defense and armed forces of Bulgaria for 2022, and a significant part of the document is devoted to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
"The unjustified war in Ukraine, which was started in complete violation of international law, caused particularly large damage to all spheres of social and economic life. The Russian armed forces committed systematic war crimes. This full-scale armed conflict has a significant impact not only on Ukraine and the region, but also in a global aspect," the document says.
The report also mentions the rise of Russian subversive hybrid activities, cyber threats and Russia's use of energy as a weapon. It is also about an increase in the level of risks in the Black Sea region, the Caucasus, Moldova and Belarus.
According to the report of the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria, the war led to an increase in the scale of Russian hybrid sabotage against NATO and EU countries.
"These actions are primarily aimed at creating internal political destabilization and public opposition; hindering decisions on strengthening the deterrence and defense potential of the Alliance; reducing solidarity and support for Ukraine and providing timely and effective military assistance; continuing dependence on Russian energy supplies," the report says.
"Bulgaria has also become the object of systemic Russian hybrid influences, including through the unilateral termination of gas supplies, with the aim of influencing the sovereign national strategic decision-making process," the report added.
The destructive role was played by Russia's indirect attempts to create a second zone of instability, using the existing problems and contradictions in the Balkans, the authors of the document write.
