Arson attack on Bulgarian embassy cars in Skopje fuels diplomatic tensions

Two Bulgarian diplomatic vehicles were set on fire in an arson attack outside the embassy premises in Skopje on Monday. Police in North Macedonia said they are searching for an as yet unidentified suspect who deliberately started the blaze.

According to initial information, the attacker doused a Suzuki Vitara SUV parked nearby in front of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission with an accelerant and set it on fire, after which the fire spread to a second vehicle of the embassy.

The perpetrator managed to flee the scene unseen despite the incident taking place around midday in a busy central area of the city.

Authorities have confirmed that no injuries have been reported and that the motive for the attack remains unknown.

The incident comes at a sensitive moment in relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, and is expected to be closely monitored by the government in Sofia.

Police said the suspect fled the scene immediately after committing the act and remains at large.

This is the second attack targeting Bulgarian diplomatic property in Skopje in less than six months. In January 2026, the glass of the entrance door of the diplomatic mission was damaged, and the perpetrator was never identified.

“Unacceptable assault” at Bulgarian embassy in Skopje sparks new diplomatic tensions

At the time, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the act, describing it as an unacceptable assault on a state symbol and a serious breach of the Vienna Convention. The authorities in Skopje were criticised for what was described as “institutional passivity”, which, it was argued, may encourage such incidents.

Following the arson attack on two vehicles of the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje, I spoke with FM @TimcoMucunski.
🇧🇬 strongly condemns this unacceptable act. We expect a prompt and thorough investigation, the identification of those responsible, and swift justice.
Bulgaria will… pic.twitter.com/kmPlChkVPk
— Velislava Petrova, PhD (@vpetrova_mfa) June 15, 2026

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia posted on X that it “strongly condemns” the arson incident.

Министерството за надворешни работи и надворешна трговија најостро го осудува инцидентот што се случи денеска, при кој беше извршено опожарување на возила во сопственост на Амбасадата на Република Бугарија во Скопје.
— MFAFT North Macedonia 🇲🇰 (@MFA_MKD) June 15, 2026

Thenew Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has taken a firm stance against any concessions towards North Macedonia, which continues to refuse to include the Bulgarian minority in its constitution. This Bulgarian request has become since 2022 a EU condition for Skopje to begin EU accession negotiations. The conditionionality was agreed when the current foreign minister Velislava Petrova served as deputy to the then foreign minister Teodora Genchovska.

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has invited Radev to visit the country in his new capacity, but no response has yet been given. The latest incident involving the arson attack on diplomatic vehicles is likely to further complicate the bilateral relations.

Mickoski’s party, VMRO-DPMNE is pursuing a nationalist policy aligned with Belgrade which doesn’t want to see more countries from the former Yugoslavia progressing toward EU membership.

Attacks on Bulgarian diplomatic facilities in Skopje form part of a series of incidents which became public since 2021. The first reported incident occurred against the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre in Skopje in November 2021, when windows were smashed.

A year later, the most serious incident took place when shots were fired at the Bulgarian cultural centre in Ohrid. The attack occurred while people were inside the club, though fortunately no one was injured. In addition, the list of citizens of North Macedonia with dual citizenship who have reported hate attacks is growing.

Yet another assault on a Bulgarian in North Macedonia heightens tensions

This article was updated with the message on X of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia which was posted following the publication of this article.

Sources: BGNES, BTA, Zoom.mk

Caption: According to initial information, the attacker doused a Suzuki Vitara SUV with an accelerant and set it alight, after which the fire spread to another vehicle parked nearby in front of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission. [Photo credit: BGNES]