Bulgaria faces an urgent need to access its fuel reserves stored overseas, warned Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chair of "Yes, Bulgaria" (part of the opposition coalition WCC-DB). He stressed that the country's so-called 90-day fuel reserves are not fully reliable, as certain companies linked to Delyan Peevski are reportedly avoiding their obligation to maintain adequate stocks.

"Given the ongoing sanctions against Lukoil, it is clear that our 90-day fuel reserves are not truly 90 days," Mirchev said, calling for immediate action to draw upon the reserves kept abroad. He criticized Peevski-affiliated companies for attempting to reduce costs despite having sufficient storage capacity and working capital. Mirchev added that these firms appear to operate under a protective institutional and prosecutorial framework, which includes the State Reserve, the National Security Agency, and the government.

Mirchev also highlighted the risk posed by US sanctions on Lukoil. Part of Bulgaria’s fuel reserves is tied up in Lukoil warehouses as crude oil, which must be refined before use. "If the refinery and related companies halt operations on November 21 due to US sanctions, a portion of our 90-day reserves will be effectively blocked," he warned.

The co-chair noted that roughly one-third of the country’s 90-day fuel reserves are stored abroad, and repatriating them could take up to 45 days, according to official information cited by BTA. "In the event of a crisis, how will the country replenish supplies while waiting for these foreign reserves to arrive?" Mirchev questioned, underlining the urgency of securing fuel stocks without delay.