Vladimir Malinov resigned as chairman of the board of directors at Balkan Gas Hub
on November 9, 2026, stepping down from his last public leadership role in Bulgaria’s state energy sector.
Vladimir Malinov Resigns After Brief Tenure
The departure comes a little more than two months after Malinov took the helm of the state-owned gas trading platform Balkan Gas Hub
, according to the Ministry of Energy. The Energy Ministry confirmed the resignation to the Bulgarian National Radio, without stating any motives or whether the resignation was accepted. Officials noted that Malinov is scheduled for formal release after a board meeting of the exchange.
Malinov’s exit follows his departure from “Bulgartransgas” in August 2026.
Владимир Малинов напуска и „Газов хъб Балкан“: какво свърши начело на „Булгартрансгаз“ и като енергиен министърhttps://t.co/jnh452oLAf
Leadership Changes Across State Gas Assets
During his tenure, Malinov temporarily left the gas operator in April 2024 to serve as minister of energy in the interim cabinets led by Dimitar Glavchev. Kiril Ravnachki then stepped into the operator role.
After his ministerial stint ended, Malinov returned to “Bulgartransgas” in January 2025. Ravnachki subsequently headed back to Balkan Gas Hub
.
In July 2026, authorities released Malinov from the transmission company and moved him to the subsidiary gas exchange. BGNES reported his final exit from the exchange on November 9, 2026.
Pipeline Projects Face Legal Questions
Before heading the transmission operator, Malinov led the legal department starting in 2010. During his years leading “Bulgartransgas”, the primary construction project was the extension of TurkStream, known locally as Balkan Stream. In 2020, a reverse flow for natural gas was secured via the interconnection with Romania, followed by the start of natural gas deliveries toward Serbia in 2021.
His tenure also involved the proposal for the expansion of the Chiren underground gas storage facility. That project later faced controversy, the contract was terminated, and the matter became the subject of an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In March 2025, Malinov was summoned to the Bulgarian office of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to face charges related to the Chiren case, but he did not appear. Former European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva later stated publicly that the charging document for Malinov appeared to have vanished.
