A pro-Russia rally was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, where crowds held signs supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In footage recorded on March 2 one speaker is heard saying: "Long live Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, long live Russia, long live Bulgaria!"

Several other demonstrators held signs reading "NATO out!", "Russia, thank you" and "Putin - the president peacemaker."

The rally was organised by a group named Rusofili, meaning friends of Russia.

This footage was filmed and produced 2 March 2022.

Pro-Russian activists demonstrated in front of the Russian embassy in Sofia to support the operation in Ukraine. The protest was organized by 'Rusofili' (meaning 'Friends of Russia') movement by the social networks. Wearing Russian and Bulgarian flags they shouted 'Russia' and sang patriotic songs like 'Victory day'. Some of the protesters wore banners such as 'NATO – out!', 'Russia, thank you!' and 'Bulgaria - zone of peace'. Other protesters held a poster with a portrait of Vladimir Putin and the inscription 'Putin – the president peacemaker'.

Translation:
[0:23] (Bulgarian): 'The actual hard times will pass. Just be strong, friends! Have courage and patience. Don't lose memory for the history.'

[0:48] – (Bulgarian): 'All the ruling politics in Ukraine are ethnically Jewish – Poroshenko, Yatsenyuk, Turchynov... Kolomoyskyi – the oligarch who gathered all these battalions in Ukraine.'

[1:21] – (Bulgarian): 'Let's hear proudly that song “Victory day”. Let's never search for another anthem for the victory against fascism, because such fascism there will not be. “¡No pasarán!”, the fascism will not survive! Long live Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, long live Russia, long live Bulgaria!'

[1:57] – (Bulgarian): 'Long live Russia and Bulgaria'