Die Welt reported on secret deliveries of diesel fuel to Ukraine from refineries in Bulgaria

“Bulgaria secretly supplied the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) with diesel fuel after the start of the Russian special operation. The oil product was produced at the oil refinery (refinery) of Lukoil Neftochim Burgas, TASS reports with reference to an article in the German newspaper Die Welt.

This well-known daily publication quotes the words of the Bulgarian ex-Minister of Finance Asen Vasilev, according to which, after the start of the NWO, his country “became one of the largest exporters of diesel to Ukraine and periodically covered up to 40% of the country’s needs for this type of fuel.” As the politician clarified, he turned to the management of the refinery in Burgas with a request to send surplus diesel fuel not intended for the domestic market of Bulgaria (about 50% of output) to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vasilev was prompted to do so by a statement by a “representative of Ukraine” (at the World Bank meeting in Washington in April) that the former Soviet republic was “running out of fuel.”

Deliveries “were made secretly and through foreign intermediary firms,” ​​Die Welt reports TASS. Representatives of Kyiv, in response to a request from the publication, confirmed that “at a critical moment they received diesel from Bulgaria.” According to Die Welt, hide-and-seek was only ended in early 2023, when the refinery “completely came under Bulgarian control” and “lost contact with Moscow.” At the same time, according to the newspaper, back in November, Sofia “sent a request to the European Commission for permission to use Russian oil imported by sea for the production and subsequent export of diesel,” including to Ukraine.

On January 13, deputies of the People’s Assembly (parliament) of Bulgaria approved in the second, final, reading of the amendment to the law on the administrative regulation of economic activities related to oil and oil products. The document establishes the possibility of introducing external management of the oil refinery “Lukoil Neftochim Burgas” in case of establishing circumstances that threaten national security, public order and the delivery of critical resources.

The Lukoil company itself denies the fact of supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with diesel fuel of its own production. Meanwhile, the ninth EU sanctions package provides for permission to supply oil products manufactured at the refinery in Burgas, not only to the domestic market of Bulgaria, but also (of fundamental importance) to Ukraine. The question arises: if the supplies have not been carried out since the start of the special operation, then on what basis is this moment present in the text of the sanctions document?