An explosion  during the testing of a grenade launcher at the firing range in Anevo killed one American and wounded four other people, two of them foreign nationals. Unfortunately, accidents of this kind have recently become a common occurence. The last one took place during experimental shooting, but that doesn't mean it is an isolated or separate occurence, because whether it is experimental shooting or utilization of ammunition, the results are the same - human casualties and damages at military facilities with the participation of specially trained personnel. Reactions have this time gone beyond the usual expressions of concern and condolences – we are now witnessing the politicization of the problem.

Minister of Defense Nikolay Nenchev told the BNR that the frequent accidents involving guns and ammo called for legislative changes. The investigation is still ongoing, but according to Minister Nenchev rules and procedures had not been complied with and the fatal mistake was the result. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian army Rossen Plevneliev commented in the same vein. In his words, no matter whether state owned or private companies were involved “there was non-compliance with the responsibility for the production, control and handling of explosives – and responsibility must be assumed”. The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party stated they wanted to hear the ministers of defense, of the interior and the economy in Parliament and also that a legislative change was necessary. According to the socialists, the amendment should rule out any attempts to liberalize the gun and ammunition handling regime by transferring the responsibility entirely to the state, excluding the participation of any private companies, as was this  latest instance. The trade unions go further and say that not only legislative changes are necessary, but also state prevention and control by the respective institutions, as suspicions have arisen of dishonest practices.

All of these reactions are pertinent, albeit belated. A Radio Bulgaria headline in April read: Explosions at military sites continue, the question Why remains. Earlier still, in October 2014, Radio Bulgaria once again wrote: Series of fatal incidents casts shadow over Bulgaria. The reasons adduced in the commentaries of the latest Anevo blast do not differ significantly from the ones given in the previous Radio Bulgaria articles. What we have here is an ongoing series of tragic incidents, despite all warnings, in a sphere of activity that is extremely dangerous and is yet to be developed. According to the defense ministry 3,177 tons of old ammunition is to be utilized and destroyed in 2015. Eighteen months ago Bulgaria requested technical assistance of USA in destroying 9,802 banned and highly dangerous cluster bombs that are currently kept in store by the Bulgarian army. This country is one out of 94 countries signatories to the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions. Under this treaty Bulgaria assumes the commitment to ban and destroy any munition of this kind by 2016. So, time is running out.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev