Russian military intelligence developed a plan to carry out a coup d'état in Bulgaria in 2016, which was foiled after the preventive arrest of its participants.

 This was stated by the executive director of the Bellingcat investigative group, Hristo Grozeva, during a debate in the Bulgarian parliament.

 According to him, the coup attempt in Bulgaria was planned for April 20, 2016. It was to be carried out by the hands of two paramilitary organizations, "Vasyl Levskyi" and "Shipka".

 More than seven hundred militants were supposed to riot in the parliament, start shooting and try to seize power. The operation was allegedly supported by the Russian Orthodox Church.

 The putsch attempt failed due to the preventive arrest of hundreds of members of paramilitary formations, of which only three dozen were able to reach Sofia. The organizer of the operation, Volodymyr Rusev, known under the pseudonym "Walter Kalashnikov", was also detained.