Moscow’s message to Bulgarian journalist: ‘Do not ever come to Russia’

Russia’s ambassador to Sofia told a Bulgarian journalist Thursday that he can go anywhere but Russia after the envoy was summoned to Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry to explain Moscow’s search warrant for Christo Grozev.

Eleonora Mitrofanova was summoned to make a statement about Moscow’s warrant for Grozev.

Russia issued the warrant for the journalist who works for the Bellingcat website, which conducts international research.

The ministry did not make a statement about the meeting but Mitrofanova spoke to reporters and said: "We are not looking for Christo Grozev all over the world. Let him go wherever he wants. We just told him: ‘Do not ever come to Russia.’”

“This decision is only a warning. The Internal Ministry of Russia never explains the reasons for similar decisions it has made,” she said.