Western Thrace Insurgency

Western Thrace Insurgency
Part of the Western Thrace Dispute
Date 5 September 2023 - present Location Western Thrace Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Thrace Bulgarians Partisan Front Trakiya Rouge	United Nations NATO PKF EU PAM Russia RU PKF	Thrace Hellenes Néoi Armatoloi Group "Sparta"
Commanders and leaders
TBD	TBD	TBD
Units involved
TBD	TBD	TBD
Strength
800 300	5,000 2,000 700	400 200
Casualties and losses
25-35 killed 10-20 killed	3 killed 5 killed 4 killed	15-25 killed 5-15 killed

The Western Thrace Insurgency is an ongoing conflict in the UN-administered territory of Western Thrace between ethnic Bulgarians, Greeks, peacekeeping forces from NATO, the European Union and Russia. The conflict stems from the Western Thrace Dispute and the aftermath of the Crskan War, in which Crskan troops and NATO airpower forced the Bulgarian People's Army to withdraw from Western Thrace, which they had occupied since the end of the Second World War. The combined NATO-Russia peacekeeping mission has been largely successful in preventing the outbreak of ethnic warfare since its implementation in 1998 as per Security Council Resolution 1107, which transferred security duties in the region from the occupying Crskan Army to the NATO-Russia force. Foreign analysts regard the conflict as part of the wider instability in the Balkans following the start of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine which has resulted in old fault lines reopening in the region, threatening to reheat previously frozen conflicts in Kosovo and Western Thrace, and drag Euro-Atlantic powers into another conflict in the Balkan region.

Ethnic composition of Western Thrace

The main parties involved in the conflict are the ethnic Bulgarian Partisan Front insurgent group and Trakiya Rouge (Red Thracia) paramilitary unit, and the ethnic Greek Néoi Armatoloi (New Irregulars) insurgent group and Group "Sparta" paramilitary unit. Bulgarian rebels have engaged the NATO-EU mission and Greek rebels, whereas Greek rebels have mainly engaged their Bulgarian foes and the Russian mission, who they accuse of covertly supporting Bulgarian efforts in the region thus making them legitimate targets.

Timeline of Events

Geopolitical Reactions to the Crisis

• 12 Sep 2023: Security Council convenes an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Western Thrace. Motion to increase the NATO Peacekeeping Force to 10,000 (7,000 troops, 3,000 police officers) vetoed by Russia over the American and British opposition to allow Russia to deploy additional peacekeepers (as per the Bulgarian-Russian-UN agreement which ended the Crskan War, Russian presence in Western Thrace must equate to 10% of that of NATO-EU strength, however Russia demands that this is increased to 20%) due to Western opposition to Russian involvement because of the War in Ukraine.

• 19 Sep 2023: Security Council convenes its second meeting on the crisis in Western Thrace, in light of increased attacks against NATO and EU forces. Russia, the United States, and Britain, once again fail to reach an agreement on the deployment of Russian forces and the motion to deploy additional NATO-EU forces is vetoed again by Russia.

• 22 Sep 2023: Russia vows a 'swift retaliation' against the perpatrators of the Kulata attack and once again demands that the West allow increased deployment of Russian troops in the region 'in increased proportionality' to NATO-EU forces. Bulgaria releases a statement in support of the Russian position.

• 23 Sep 2023: 400 Russian troops arrive in Bulgaria in the wake of the Kulata attack. Later the Russian troops are spotted at the border of Bulgaria proper and Western Thrace, leading to NATO concerns that Russia is about to unilaterally intervene in Western Thrace against Greek rebels in violation of the United Nations mandate in the region.

• 26 Sep 2023: Security Council convenes its third meeting on the crisis in Western Thrace, where Russia and the the United States reach a compromise to increase the limit to 15%. Britain withdraws its opposition at the behest of the United States. In total, an additional 5,000 NATO troops, 1,000 EU police officers, and 800 Russian troops will be deployed to Western Thrace. The Kulata attack is condemned by all members of the Security Council as a prerequisite to the agreement.

Actions involving Peacekeepers or Police

• 5 Sep 2023: Car bomb detonates outside the headquarters of the EU Police Assistance Mission in Komotini, killing 2 police officers from Germany and injuring a further 6 police officers from Italy – Bulgarian insurgent group known as Partisan Front claims responsibility for the attack

• 7 Sep 2023:

• 8 Sep 2023:

• 11 Sep 2023: A NATO peacekeeper is killed by sniper fire during revenge operation in Komotini – Bulgarian paramilitary unit known as Trakiya Rouge claims responsibility for the attack

• 13 Sep 2023:

• : 16 Sep 2023:

• 21 Sep 2023: Russian peacekeeping outpost at the Kulata border crossing between Western Thrace and Bulgaria proper comes under heavy attack by small arms fire and mortar shelling. During the attack a Russian BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is destroyed by an anti-tank missile, killing 3 Russian peacekeepers and wounding several others. The attack lasts 15-20 minutes before the attackers retreat – Hellenic paramilitary unit known as Group "Sparta" claims responsibility for the attack.

• 22 Sep 2023:

• 24 Sep 2023: Russian forces raid the ethnic Greek town of Didymoteicho, near the border with Turkey. During the assault 4 Greek militants – originally believed to be part of Group "Sparta" but later confirmed to be members of Néoi Armatoloi instead – are killed in the raid, which is a Russian operational success.

• 27 Sep 2023: A Russian peacekeeper is killed by sniper fire and several others are wounded in a grenade attack at the Ilinden border crossing between Western Thrace and Bulgaria proper – Group "Sparta" claims responsibility for the attack as a retaliation for the Russian raid on Didymoteicho a couple days earlier

Actions involving inter-ethnic fighting

• 12 Sep 2023:

• 13 Sep 2023:

• 14 Sep 2023:

• 17 Sep 2023:

• 20 Sep 2023:

• 24 Sep 2023:

• 25 Sep 2023:

• 28 Sep 2023: