30-year-old Bulgarian border police officer shot dead during patrol for migrants at border with Türkiye

The unprecedented killing of a border police officer distressed the authorities in Bulgaria. The border guard was shot dead by migrants near Elhovo, who fired from the territory of Türkiye and then fled inland. The Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador for talks. The caretaker Minister of Interior described the case as a criminal act of extreme aggression and said that in future they would be absolutely uncompromising with anyone trying to cross the border illegally.

Sergeant Petar Bachvarov, 30-year-old, was the border police officer shot dead last night, November 7. Together with a military serviceman, they were patrolling the barbed wire border facility and came across a breach in the fence. They stopped and at that moment a shot knocked down the border policeman. The serviceman managed to take cover behind the car. Several more shots followed from the Turkish side. The Turkish authorities are already in contact with the Bulgarian authorities and are trying to identify the perpetrators of the crime.

The Bulgarian caretaker Minister of Interior described what happened near the village of Golyam Dervent as an exceptional and escalating aggression with firearms, which will be responded to with the necessary force.

7 November, 20:35 in the evening. Border policeman Petar Bachvarov and an army officer were patrolling together near the village of Golyam Dervent, Bachvarov noticed a hole cut in the barbed wire fence. He got out of the vehicle and shone a torch to inspect it.

"This was immediately followed by a shot from the neighbouring territory of the Republic of Türkiye. The colleague was killed from the first shot. The colleague from the Ministry of Defence managed to take cover behind the vehicle, shooting started at him. He fired back with his service weapon in the direction of the shots. According to him, about 10-15 shots were fired from the adjacent territory," explained Petar Todorov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior.

"The serviceman was carrying a Kalashnikov rifle. 7/62-millimeter Kalashnikov assault rifle," added Dimitar Stoyanov, caretaker Defence Minister.

At this stage, there is no precise data on how large the group was.

"The group that fired the shots is retreating deep into the interior of the territory of the Republic of Türkiye," the Ministry ofInterior's secretary general specified.

According to Todorov, talks were immediately held with the Turkish authorities.

"They have assured us that they will do everything possible and necessary to find these people and bring them to justice. Gendarmerie have been brought in, investigators have been brought in. Many teams are working. Including the interior, the approaches to Adrianople and to the other cities. We have the assurance of the Turkish authorities that these people will be found and brought to justice," said Ivan Demerdzhiev, caretaker deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Demerdzhiev will also speak with his Turkish counterpart today, November 8.

"I will demand the Turkish side to take an active approach as we did. To disrupt the smuggling networks there in Türkiye. I have asked Europol to do the same, I have asked the European Commission to do the same. Until these smuggling networks are completely disrupted, every day, our or other officials will put their lives at risk," the minister added.

It is the smugglers who are most likely to be armed, as they have changed their tactics in recent months and are increasingly accompanying groups of irregular migrants to the crossing rather than leaving them a few kilometres before the border. After yet another case of a police officer killed, the Secretary-General has again promised to take action.

"We will take all necessary measures regarding the security of our personnel. I have ordered to start having long guns in every squad for the safety of the officers," added Petar Todorov.

According to minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, the police will now be uncompromising in guarding the border.

"This means shooting. A month ago, I was here, again, in Elhovo and I gave clear instructions to our officers to use weapons in any case in which this is necessary. In such aggression that escalates, that goes as far as using firearms, from now on we will respond with the necessary force to that aggression and I assure you that if there are incidents at the border, they will not be in the direction of our officers," Demerdzhiev said.

According to Demerdzhiev, the fence cutting is daily, not occasional.

"Every day this razor-wire facility is mended, maintained by them. But constantly and every day they spot such holes. They stop, they process them, they do their best to close the border where such a hole was opened," the Minister of Interior added.

He said the killing of the border policeman was not a reason for another personnel reshuffle.

The Ministry of Interior’s secretary-general demanded changes in the legislation on the grounds that out of thousands of convictions of traffickers, only a hundred are effective and the rest suspended. According to Petar Todorov, the penalties should be increased.

The caretaker Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence arrived in Elhovo. They will meet the serviceman who took part in the joint patrol last night. Together with the Ministry of Interior, measures to strengthen the border will be discussed.