Bulgaria Seizes Lukoil Refinery in Black Sea Region Amid U.S. Sanctions Pressure

Bulgaria's parliament moved decisively to end Russian energy giant Lukoil PJSC's 26-year control over the country's largest oil refinery near the Black Sea. The seizure, executed in under a minute by lawmakers in Sofia, marks the sharpest reduction of Russia's economic influence in the Balkans since the TRUMP administration imposed sanctions targeting Moscow's oil sector.

The Neftohim refinery takeover disrupts what analysts describe as Vladimir Putin's last vestiges of Soviet-era energy dominance in the region. "These are the death throes of a system that should have collapsed decades ago," said Ruslan Stefanov of Sofia's Center for Study of Democracy, noting the operation required Washington's sanctions pressure to force action.

Lukoil had long resisted selling its 220 gasoline stations and critical refinery infrastructure despite political pressure. The Biden administration continues enforcing measures that began under Trump's 2020 executive order targeting Russian energy networks.