Alleged Russian Training Camp in Bulgaria Sparks NATO Scrutiny as Aid to Ukraine Ends
Allegations claim a Bulgarian camp run by Alfa-Metal used former Western special-forces veterans to train Russian citizens, while Bulgaria says it has stopped sending weapons to Ukraine.
An intelligence note cited by multiple sources alleges that a combat training camp in Garbovo, northern Bulgaria, was run by the international centre Alfa-Metal and staffed by veterans of Western elite units such as the US Navy SEALs and the British SAS to teach Russian citizens and military personnel how to fight in Ukraine. Alfa-Metal officials reject the claim, stating the allegation is false and that the firm operated under official accounting and state supervision, with Bulgarian interior ministry inspections between February 2022 and September 2026 finding no breaches of weapons regulations.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Interior reported 13 inspections during that period with no violations. Meanwhile, at the NATO summit in Ankara, defence minister Rumen Radew declared that Bulgaria had supplied 13 aid packages and its military stockpiles were depleted, leaving only technical assistance and equipment repair for Ukraine. The ministry has thus ended direct weapons deliveries. The story highlights concerns over possible covert support for Russia and the shifting stance of a NATO member on Ukrainian aid.
Why it matters
It raises questions about covert foreign involvement in Russia’s war effort and signals a change in NATO member Bulgaria’s military support to Ukraine.
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