For years now, the Kremlin has been conducting a spy war in the Balkans. But Bulgarian authorities surprised the world when they recently charged three Russians in the attempted murder of an arms manufacturer. Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Dimitar Bechev digs into the complicated operations under way.
Though Russia has no troops on the ground, it has waged a war against the West and its influence on the Balkans by other means – from propaganda and disinformation to assistance to nationalist and far-right groups, all the way to targeted assassinations.
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The Eurasia Center’s mission is to promote policies that strengthen stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.