SANS has described a series of severe risks and critical areas for Bulgaria in its annual report, which is set to be reviewed by the government and parliament. According to the document, the dangers affect energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, ecology, communications, transport, fuels, infrastructure, hacker attacks, food supply, and finance, as well as the actions of malicious states and terrorist organizations.
First and foremost, the agency highlights the complex geopolitical situation, conflicts, hybrid threats, cyberattacks, and increasingly frequent natural disasters linked to climate change. The report also points to risks of interference with global navigation and positioning signals (GNSS/GPS), issues with drifting sea mines, diverted missiles, and unmanned maritime vehicles. Attacks against tankers and oil infrastructure in the Black Sea, according to SANS' assessment, increase the danger of spills, environmental damage, and rising costs for transport insurance and services.
The agency warns that the risk of sabotage and cyber operations against critical infrastructure facilities in government, energy, transport, communications, food supply, healthcare, and water supply remains high. According to SANS, these threats can originate from both malicious states and non-state actors, including criminal, extremist, or terrorist organizations.
The danger of using artificial intelligence for cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns is also growing, the agency notes, as part of a broader hybrid toolkit. The implementation of physical and information protection measures for specific strategic sites is also identified as a critical area.
The report also highlights a number of processes that SANS believes create additional risks for the country. Among them is "the necessity to ensure the operation of strategic production facilities and energy security in the context of disrupted supply chains and sanctions against PJSC Lukoil, affecting assets in our country." Other issues mentioned include the incompletely resolved dependence on Russian nuclear equipment, spare parts, and expertise, as well as difficulties in balancing the electricity system and frequent failures in the power transmission network.
SANS reports a risk from the deteriorated financial condition of significant coal-mining companies, as well as from delayed initiatives for retraining workers in the sector and using mining lands for green energy projects. Projects for rail and road infrastructure are also described as problematic.
According to the agency, problems with access to and the quality of health services remain a critical area, as do attempts to encroach upon public healthcare resources. The report also notes deficits in the pharmaceutical market related to logistical difficulties, uneven distribution, parallel export schemes, and increasing consumption, including without a doctor's prescription.
The agency claims that there are also vulnerabilities in the agri-food chain that lead to market distortions, unfair competition, illegal imports, and the supply of hazardous food products and plant protection preparations. Also identified as risky are impaired river conductivity, including due to illegal extraction of inert materials, air and water pollution from industry and agriculture, and violations in the storage of hazardous chemical substances.
In its annual report, SANS once again notes that it has expelled or barred the entry of spies and individuals threatening national security, but without providing specifics on exactly what these people did or what actions the agency itself took. According to the document, the activity of foreign special services in Bulgaria remains "persistently high" due to the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Black Sea region, and the country's commitments as a member of the EU and NATO.
SANS points out that the main goals of foreign intelligence services remain the acquisition of sensitive information and the establishment of positions for influence within the state administration, strategic enterprises, media, the non-governmental sector, and educational institutions. In the sphere of financial security, the agency has worked to counter money laundering, the circumvention of international sanctions, financial fraud, and illegal financing schemes.
Particular attention is paid to attempts to assist sanctioned individuals and companies and to the protection of the financial system from external influence. However, the report does not provide specific data, and the "Baba Alino" case is entirely absent from the document.