Ilina Yotova, Bulgaria’s president, who supports dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, has won the second round of the presidential election.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported early Monday, November 2, that Yotova defeated Andrey Gyurov, a pro-Western politician, in Bulgaria’s presidential election.
According to the report, the election took place amid growing security concerns following a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
In October, several ships in the Black Sea, near Bulgaria’s coast, came under attack, leaving 21 people missing. The incident is believed to be linked to the spillover of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Roman Radev, a centre-left politician who also supports dialogue with Moscow, said the attacks appeared to have served Russia’s interests. He also summoned the Russian ambassador.
However, his government has emphasized that no evidence has so far directly linked the attacks to Moscow.
With her election victory, Yotova is set to become the first woman elected president of Bulgaria, a country of 6.4 million people.
