In Bulgaria, the leader of the Russophile movement was detained in a case of espionage

The chairman of the Russophiles movement Nikolay Malinov has been detained in Bulgaria. This was reported by the publications 24 Hours and Bulgarian National Radio without citing sources.

According to 24 Hours, the arrest is related to a case of espionage. One of the secretaries of the Russophiles, Yuri Borisov, was also arrested in this case, the Duma publication wrote . He was later released without charges.

According to the Bulgarian version of Radio Liberty, a number of Russophile leaders were summoned for questioning, as well as political scientist Zhivko Georgiev. He was asked about the research he had conducted for foreign organizations, including the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies .

• The Russophiles movement was founded in Sofia in 2003. Its stated goal is to strengthen friendship and cooperation between Bulgaria and Russia.
• In May 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the movement's leader Nikolai Malinov the Order of Friendship.