A notification has been sent to the prosecutor’s office and to the State Agency for National Security, SANS, calling for an investigation of Lukoil Bulgaria oil refinery for processing and selling refined fuel products from Russian oil abroad, including in countries of the EU.

• The oil refinery in Burgas violated EU and US embargo on Russian oil, CSD say
• Politico: European Commission to investigate Bulgaria over evasion of sanctions against Russia by Lukoil
• MPs call for immediate termination of derogation for Russian oil
• There is no EC procedure against Bulgaria because of Lukoil

The chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS Delyan Peevski and GERB MP Delyan Dobrev write, in their notification, that the information which has appeared in Bulgarian and foreign media on the matter “could contain sufficient data for seeking criminal liability”, if any evasion of the EU sanctions against Russia has been allowed, which has led to EUR 1 billion in profits for Russia used to finance its war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Hungary has asked the European Commission to open a legal procedure against Bulgaria over a fee the country imposed on the Russian natural gas passing through Bulgarian territory, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports, citing sources in Budapest.

• Russian gas transit fee affects only Gazprom, PM Denkov tells EU ambassadors

Bulgaria believes the tax, which it levied in October, will reduce the privileged position of Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom in southeastern Europe and deter Russian influence in the region, AP writes.