Russia Threatens Retaliation Over Bulgaria's Expulsion of Russian Journalist on National Security Grounds

Russian journalist Alexander Gatsak, with state-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta, expelled from Bulgaria for supposedly posing a national security threat; Russia accuses Bulgaria of press violations, vowing to retaliate.

Russian journalist Alexander Gatsak, a correspondent for Rossiyskaya Gazeta, has been expelled from Bulgaria. The Bulgarian government alleges he was engaging in activities that posed a threat to the nation's security.
Gatsak was stripped of his accreditation and residency permit and has been barred from entering Bulgaria and other European Union member nations.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has called Bulgaria's expulsion of Gatsak an 'outrageous attack' on the media and a violation of press freedom. Russia has promised retaliatory measures in response.
Last year, Bulgaria expelled 70 members of Russia's diplomatic staff, marking the largest number of Russian diplomats ever expelled by Bulgaria. This strained the diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were close allies during communist times.
Bulgaria, a member of both NATO and the EU, has strongly supported Western sanctions against Moscow since Russia launched its war on Ukraine last year.