Russia-Led Dispute Over Deported Clergy Strains Bulgaria-Russia Ties
In Sofia, a senior Russian diplomat reported to a television audience that Bulgaria’s envoy in Moscow will be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the removal of Russian Orthodox Church priests from Bulgaria. The briefing, delivered by Eleonora Mitrofanova, the Russian ambassador to Sofia, indicated that a formal meeting will be arranged with Bulgarian officials in response to the incident and its implications for bilateral relations. The channel delivering the update was Russia 24.
Mitrofanova clarified that the summoned ambassador would participate in a designated meeting to address possible Moscow-led retaliatory measures tied to the case, underscoring the seriousness with which Moscow views the expulsion of ROC clergy from Bulgaria.
The diplomat stressed that the decision to expel the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church from Bulgaria constitutes an unfriendly move by Sofia, noting that such actions could complicate cooperation between the two countries on religious, cultural, and broader diplomatic fronts.
Earlier, the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria announced that local authorities had decided to deport Archimandrite Vassian, who serves as the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia. Officials in Sofia alleged that he posed a threat to Bulgaria’s national security, a claim that has intensified the political strain surrounding religious institutions and state sovereignty.
Within the Russian leadership, Patriarch Kirill and other church figures have urged followers to stand with their homeland and defend the Fatherland, invoking historical figures like Prince Alexander Nevsky to frame the current tensions within a tradition of wartime vigilance and spiritual duty. The rhetoric reflects a broader pattern of intertwining religion and national identity in Moscow’s foreign policy discourse.
On the other side of the conflict, Kyiv’s authorities have been linked in public reporting to plans related to Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a move that has added another layer to the complex regional narrative surrounding religious institutions, heritage sites, and security concerns in Eastern Europe. The timing of these discussions occurs amid ongoing debates about church autonomy, state oversight, and the role of religious bodies in national life, with observers noting how such developments can influence diplomatic calculations in Bulgaria and beyond.
Analysts point out that the present exchange highlights how clerical leadership and religious jurisdictions are increasingly entangled with national security narratives in both Russia and neighboring states. Observers suggest that the Bulgarian government faces delicate choices as it navigates pressures from Moscow while seeking to maintain regional stability, protect minority religious communities, and sustain international dialogue. The situation remains dynamic as ministries and diplomatic missions monitor reactions on both sides and consider subsequent steps in the broader geopolitics of cooperation and contention in the region. (regional analysts, multiple press briefings, cited reports)