Eleonora Mitrofanova
Russia's ambassador to Bulgaria since 2021, formerly head of Rossotrudnichestvo and UNESCO envoy.
Bulgaria called in Eleonora Mitrofanova once the HS Dignity went down off Krapets overnight on 12-13 October 2026. Russia's ambassador said she had no information from her country's Defence Ministry and did not rule out a provocation by a third party.
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Eleonora Mitrofanova
Drones sink HS Dignity off Bulgaria
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Background
Eleonora Mitrofanova is Russia's ambassador to Bulgaria. Vladimir Putin appointed her on 15 January 2021, and she presented her credentials in March 2021 to Rumen Radev, then Bulgaria's president and now its prime minister.
She came to Sofia from Russia's cultural diplomacy. She headed Rossotrudnichestvo, the agency for Russia's ties abroad, from 2017 to 2020, and was Russia's permanent representative to UNESCO from 2009 to 2016.
Her posting has twice put her on the carpet over Ukraine. In March 2022 Prime Minister Kiril Petkov summoned her over remarks likening Russia's war in Ukraine to Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule, and Bulgaria recalled its ambassador from Moscow for consultations. In October 2026 she was called in again over the Black Sea sinkings.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.