Военното разузнаване в НРБ през периода 1944 – 1989 г.
Military intelligence in the people's Republic of Bulgaria during the period 1944-1989

Author(s): Boris Srebrov Mihaylov
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Government/Political systems, Security and defense, Military policy, Politics of History/Memory, Peace and Conflict Studies, Secret Service / Secret Police
Published by: Висше училище по сигурност и икономика (ВУСИ)
Keywords: intelligence; military; operations; collaboration; funds; archival
Summary/Abstract: Military intelligence is the oldest Bulgarian special service, established in 1891 as a unit within the Ministry of War. Over the years, it underwent numerous structural and organizational transformations, becoming known in 1950 as the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Bulgarian People’s Army (RU-GS). During the socialist period (1944-1989), the operations of Bulgarian military intelligence were significantly subordinated to the interests and control of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Soviet Army. Archival documents, disclosed by the Commission for the Disclosure of State Security Files and published in several collections, clearly show the strong ideological alignment, politicization, and dependency on the Soviet side. After 1963, cooperation intensified between the military intelligence services of the Warsaw Pact member states. Bulgaria played a leading role in initiating intelligence coordination efforts, organizing the first meeting between military intelligence bodies in 1964 in Sofia. Despite efforts toward collective coordination, documents indicate that countries such as Romania and Hungary often demonstrated an independent stance, especially in relation to the USSR and China. The operations of ID abroad were primarily concentrated in Western Europe, the United States, and Asia, often acting as an extension of the Soviet GRU. The dependency was particularly strong in countries like China and Korea, where Bulgarian intelligence carried out tasks mandated by the USSR. Participation in operations such as „RYAN“ (a large-scale Soviet initiative to monitor a potential NATO nuclear strike) reveals the scale of Soviet control, although Bulgarian officials appeared somewhat reserved regarding its implementation. The analysis of archival records indicates that, although Bulgarian military intelligence functioned under close coordination with Soviet structures, in certain moments it managed to assert its own vision and defend national interests within the framework of the Warsaw Pact.

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