104-unit unauthorized construction

The scale of the development is staggering. According to MediaPool, the illegal site consists of 104 buildings—predominantly houses, though some are multi-story structures—spread across 36 separate properties. This is not merely a few rogue villas; it is a coordinated urban expansion appearing without a single municipal permit.

The Infrastructure of a Shadow City

The construction extends far beyond the walls of the houses. The developer installed a full suite of engineering infrastructure, including sewage systems and transformer stations, none of which possess the required documentation. As Dir reports, the site even features paved alleys, further cementing the image of a planned community operating entirely outside the law. Location adds a layer of environmental urgency. The complex borders the Golden Sands natural park. While officials clarified that construction has not breached the boundaries of the reserve itself, the proximity of a 100-decare unauthorized development to a protected natural zone raises immediate red flags regarding land use and ecological impact. The sheer volume of unauthorized work suggests a brazen disregard for local zoning laws. When 104 buildings are erected on 36 properties without permits, it indicates a systemic failure of oversight or a deliberate attempt to bypass the state.

Ukrainian Investment and the Blockade of Inspectors

The investment is attributed to a Ukrainian company known as KUB. According to municipal reports, the properties are owned by a single individual who also serves as the firm’s manager. This centralized ownership suggests a highly organized operation rather than a series of disconnected illegal builds. Perhaps more troubling is how the site remained hidden in plain sight. Mayor Kotsev revealed that various institutions attempted to inspect the complex multiple times over the last two to three years. In most instances, officials were physically blocked from entering the private territories, preventing them from reaching the interior of the site. The alarm was amplified by political pressure. Members of the Vazrazhdane party and MP Kosta Stoyanov had been flagging the complex for months, eventually providing drone footage to the media. This footage revealed that over 40 of the illegal objects were nearly completed, proving that the construction had progressed significantly while inspectors were kept at the gates.

Friday’s Raid and the Detainment of 29 Workers

The stalemate ended on Friday when the municipality coordinated with the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior (MVR) to force entry. With police providing the necessary security to bypass the previous blockades, officials finally gained full access to the site. The operation resulted in immediate enforcement. As reported by BNR News, 29 people working on the site were detained during the joint action. Senior Commissioner Tsvetan Pirovski, Director of the Regional Directorate of MVR in Varna, confirmed that access for construction machinery and workers has been terminated. A municipal police patrol remains stationed in the zone to ensure that no further unauthorized work continues while the city begins the formal process of documenting the illegal structures.

Institutional Fallout and the Path to Prosecution

The discovery has triggered a crisis of accountability within the Varna administration. Dnevnik notes that Mayor Kotsev and Commissioner Pirovski are now overseeing the aftermath of the inspection. A critical internal probe is now underway. The municipality is investigating how the construction was able to proceed for years and examining the conduct of officials who were responsible for monitoring the area. The central government has also stepped in, with Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev engaged in establishing the full details of the case. The immediate next steps involve a rigorous administrative and legal offensive:

A full inventory of all 104 objects lacking building permits.

The issuance of formal orders to stop all construction activity.

The delivery of acts for illegal construction to the responsible parties.

Referral of the case to the prosecutor’s office for potential criminal charges.

This case exposes a dangerous gap in regional enforcement. When a “shadow city” can be built on 100 decares of land while inspectors are turned away at the perimeter, it suggests that private interests may have felt immune to municipal authority. The outcome of the internal probe will determine whether this was a failure of will or a result of deeper collusion.