Demerdzhiev replaced three regional directors of the Ministry of Interior in a matter of days

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has initiated surprise personnel reshuffles at the highest regional level of the Ministry of Interior. In just a few days, three regional directors were replaced.

Almost all of the 28 regional directors were removed by the tandem of Emil Dechev (then caretaker minister) and Georgi Kandev (chief secretary). The mass purge at the time was explained by the need to appoint people who would guarantee the fair conduct of elections, as well as by claims that the team needed to be trusted. This was followed by hundreds of police operations in villages and towns, entering settlements with long-barreled weapons and drones, and finally, the now-known election results came. Rumen Radev's people, including Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, competed to praise the work of the Ministry of Interior and the regional directors.

Now, however, new surprise personnel changes are being noticed locally, all carried out by orders of the current Interior Minister.

New director in Vidin

According to the official announcement, by an order of Demerdzhiev dated August 3, Senior Commissioner Svetoslav Grigorov was temporarily reassigned to the position of Director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior (ODMVR) in Vidin. The acting Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, in the presence of the regional governor, introduced him to the staff, the police reported.

"No one is above the state and no one is above the law. I want this message to reach every single employee. We must work responsibly, with dignity, and with motivation," the new director stated to the management staff of the Regional Directorate and the District Administrations. "The directorate must meet high public expectations and prove that it is an institution deserving of trust," Grigorov, who was introduced as having been born in 1981 in Sofia and a graduate of South-West University "Neofit Rilski" in Blagoevgrad, was categorical.

The previous director, Senior Commissioner Miroslav Milkov, thanked his colleagues for the joint work. He is returning to his titular position as deputy director of the Regional Directorate.

Changes in Stara Zagora as well

Deputy Ministers Emil Ganchev and Ventsislav Katinov introduced the new director of ODMVR-Stara Zagora to the staff. By order of Demerdzhiev, Senior Commissioner Dimitar Mashov has been temporarily reassigned to lead. He was born on January 5, 1976, and is a graduate of the Police Academy (VIPOND) of the Ministry of Interior in Simeonovo, as well as the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies in Sofia. He joined the Ministry of Interior system in 2001 as an operative in the 8th District Administration of the Sofia Metropolitan Directorate of Interior (SDVR), and in 2002 he was reassigned to the "Crimes related to motor vehicles" sector at the SDVR.

Commissioner Asen Yordanov has been appointed as acting deputy director and head of the "Criminal Police" department of ODMVR-Stara Zagora. From October 2025 until now, he was the head of the "Traffic Control on main roads and motorways" group in the "Traffic Police" sector at the regional directorate.

A change in Kyustendil too

Just a few days earlier, the acting Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Lyubomir Nikolov, introduced the new director of ODMVR-Kyustendil to the management staff – Senior Commissioner Vasil Yotsov, also temporarily reassigned to the post.

The previous director, Senior Commissioner Raycho Omerski, is returning to his previous position in the "Criminal Police" sector of ODMVR-Kyustendil. He wished the team success and thanked the staff for the results achieved during the five months in which he led the directorate, the press center informed.

Vasil Yotsov is introduced as an employee in the Ministry of Interior system since 1999, having held various executive and managerial positions. Until now, he was the head of the "Operational-search activity" group at the "Oltomantsi" border police station under the "Border Police" Regional Directorate – Dragoman.