Bulgaria holds presidential election as Ukraine war reaches its Black Sea shores

Voters in Bulgaria went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, with the shadow of Russia's war in Ukraine hanging over the ballot as the conflict spreads into the waters off the country's Black Sea coast.

Opinion surveys ahead of the vote placed acting President Iliana Iotova, 61, and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, at the front of a field of 27 candidates.

The presidency in Bulgaria is largely ceremonial, and major policies require approval from Parliament. Still, because the office is filled by direct election, the president carries added political weight, serves as head of the armed forces, and holds the power to veto legislation, sign international treaties and appoint ambassadors.

The campaign has drawn unusual attention following a string of drone attacks on merchant vessels off Bulgaria's coast that are believed to have killed around two dozen international seafarers. The strikes triggered international condemnation and raised alarm about the widening reach of the war, leading Sofia to ask its allies for help strengthening maritime security.

The Bulgarian government has stopped short of directly accusing Russia over the attacks, though Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said the result of the strikes "benefits the Russian Federation".

Both frontrunners have condemned the attacks, but they diverge sharply on the war itself. Gyurov, who is backed by pro-Western reformist parties and signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv while serving as caretaker premier earlier this year, has voiced firm support for Ukraine. "I want Bulgaria to have a voice of its own in Europe, a reliable NATO ally that defends its interests through preparedness, strong diplomacy and a clear position," he told supporters at a rally on Thursday.

Iotova, a former vice president, became acting president in January when Radev stepped down to run for Parliament, a race he won on what many analysts described as a Kremlin-friendly ticket. Radev now backs Iotova, and both advocate a negotiated end to the conflict. "My opponents argue that there must be a war of attrition," she said at a rally on Thursday. "The truth is, we are all the ones who are most exhausted."

Although there is broad agreement in Parliament on Bulgaria's pro-Western course, pro-Russian sentiment rooted in historical and cultural ties remains strong and has split society, especially since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Dobromir Zhivkov, managing director of the Market Links polling agency, placed Iotova among those favoring a more neutral stance. "They call for an end to aid for Ukraine and a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine; we often hear them use Kremlin rhetoric and terminology borrowed directly from Kremlin propaganda," he told The Associated Press earlier in the week.

Candidates have also sought to address domestic anxieties over soaring energy costs and surging inflation, which have hit rural households particularly hard. Polls by Alpha Research show Iotova with 41 percent support against 28 percent for Gyurov. Voting opened at 7am (05:00 GMT) and was due to close at 8pm (18:00 GMT).

Analysts do not expect any of the 27 contenders to win the outright majority required for a first-round victory. Turnout must exceed 50 percent of the 6.6 million registered voters to validate the result, and projections suggest participation below 40 percent, making a run-off on November 1 the likely outcome.