Bulgaria: Ilian Filipov, businessman and shareholder of FC Botev Plovdiv, was killed. Police blocked the exits from the city

Bulgarian businessman Ilian Filipov was shot dead on Wednesday morning, September 30, 2026, in the city of Plovdiv. The attack took place at around 1:00 a.m., in a building owned by the victim. The motive for the crime is unknown, and investigators are examining all possibilities.

Filipov was the owner of the transport and logistics company PIMK and the majority shareholder of football club FC Botev Plovdiv. The club said it was in a state of shock after learning the news.

After the assassination, police blocked all entrances to and exits from Plovdiv and carried out vehicle checks to prevent the suspect from fleeing. The measure caused significant traffic jams on the roads leading out of the city.

District Prosecutor Vania Hristeva said that all possible leads were being actively pursued. Authorities said the investigation was at an early stage, but that there was a specific direction based on concrete data. Representatives of the National Security Agency, the Prosecutor's Office and the Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs are taking part in the investigation.

The local police chief said that, so far, there was no evidence that Filipov had been threatened before the attack. He also rejected reports that the victim's wife had alerted the emergency services.