Event: Bulgarian

An election billboard featuring Bulgarian presidential candidate and incumbent President Iliana Iotova and vice-presidential candidate Kiril Valchev ahead of the country's presidential election on October 25. | Photo Credit: Reuters Bulgarians vote ⁠in presidential elections on Sunday (October 25, 2026) as Russia’s war in Ukraine spreads to the waters off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.Polls place acting President Iliana Iotova, ‌61, and ex-caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, as leaders in a race of 27 candidates.While the presidency is ‌largely ceremonial, Sunday’s (October 25, 2026) vote has taken on added significance after ‌a ⁠series of drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria’s ⁠Black Sea coast that likely killed some two-dozen international seafarers.The strikes, which sparked international condemnation and concerns about the growing reach of the war in Ukraine, prompted the ​government to seek allied ‌assistance to bolster maritime security.Bulgaria has stopped short of directly accusing Russia of carrying out the attacks, but Prime Minister Rumen Radev said their outcome “benefits the Russian Federation”.Both leading presidential candidates ‌condemned the strikes, but they differ over the broader war.Mr. Gyurov, ​who served as caretaker Prime Minister this year, is supported by pro-Western, reformist parties and has long expressed ⁠support for Ukraine. He signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv during his time as premier.“I want Bulgaria to have a voice ‌of its own in Europe. A reliable NATO ally that defends its interests through preparedness, strong diplomacy and a clear position,” he said at a rally on Thursday (October 22, 2026).Ms. Iotova, formerly Vice President, became acting president in January after Mr. Radev resigned to enter the parliamentary race, which he won on what many political analysts considered a Kremlin-friendly ‌ticket. Mr. Radev supports Ms. Iotova, and they both call for a diplomatic end ​to the war.A victory for Ms. Iotova would make her…

A burning oil terminal following an air attack in St. Petersburg on Oct. 18. | AFP-JIJI When he started flying unmanned aircraft in combat, “Ray” was flying some of Ukraine’s earliest midrange strike drones, on missions of about 100 kilometers with a warhead about the weight of a bowling ball.Now many of the weapons he works with are small, cheap cruise missiles that fly deep into Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine, hitting everything from air defense systems to natural gas terminals and oil refineries.The transformation in striking power is down to evolving Ukrainian manufacturing prowess — but also complex mission planning using detailed maps, satellite photos from Western partners that show Russian air defenses, a robust intelligence network and even energy industry veterans, whose expertise identifies weak spots in production facilities. In one strike in September, Kairos and other units set fire to an oil refinery on Moscow’s doorstep. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW