Ecologist and speleologist Atanas Rusev, who is among the witnesses in the case surrounding the late Ivaylo Kalushev, stated that he has not identified any irregularities in the group's activities. Five months after the tragedy, however, many questions remain unanswered.
In an interview with bTV, Rusev commented on the public reaction and the pressure directed at him: "When you are assisting the investigation, as dozens of people are currently doing, it is better to remain silent until the investigation is completed. I have refused interviews and declined to respond to all kinds of personal attacks. All sorts of abuse was poured over me by people who have no idea what this is about."
He added that he has been questioned three or four times so far, and the investigation continues to develop. "Almost every month new evidence emerges," he noted.
Rusev also spoke about his training as a cave diver in Mexico. "For four consecutive years, I traveled to Mexico for one month each year to train as a cave diver. My instructors were Deyan Iliev and Valeri Andreev. During these visits, I was accompanied by my wife. There were speculations that I had stolen some cave maps," he explained.
According to him, the purpose of these trips was scientific and exploratory. "The idea was, since we study caves, to organize groups of 15–20 people in Mexico to train as cave divers and to explore vast areas in the jungle that are still uncharted, with the goal of connecting two of the largest underwater cave systems in the world," Rusev said.
He clarified that over time the original concept had changed. "To some extent, this idea became distorted over time. I was not the only one who trained there. Many speleologists attended these courses," he added.
Rusev emphasized that there were no suspicious circumstances during the training. "These are intensive courses. There is no time for anything else," he stated.
He described his relationship with Ivaylo Kalushev as normal but not close. "Our relationship was not close or particularly friendly. We met every three or four years," Rusev said.
Atanas Rusev expressed hope that the truth about the case will soon become clear and all circumstances will be clarified.