Bulgarian President Appoints Soviet-Era Agent as Defense Counsellor

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has appointed a Cold War-era intelligence officer as his security and defense adviser.

Ilian Alipiev has held different operative positions at the ministries of interior and defense, the President's press office recalls.

An inquiry into data on former agents with the Soviet-era State Security (DS) shows he worked for the counter-intelligence, having been appointed in 1985.