2025 — Present
Emerging technologies · Leadership · Security culture
Vladimir Yankov
Head of Security Division
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant · Bulgaria
“A false sense of security is worse than no security at all”
Profile
Security as a shared organizational responsibility.
Security leader with more than two decades of experience spanning military signal intelligence, physical protection and nuclear security. Since 2025, responsible for the overall coordination and management of security activities at Kozloduy NPP, combining military, technical and nuclear security expertise with a practical focus on security governance and resilient organizations.
- Since 2001
- Security and intelligence experience
- 4 cycles
- Nuclear security culture self-assessments
- Global
- Lectures and workshops across five continents
Biography
Experience built across operations, analysis and leadership.
2020 — 2025
Head of Nuclear Security
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant2013 — 2020
Head of Analysis and Control of Physical Protection
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant2012 — 2013
Chief Specialist, Prevention
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant2011 — 2012
Physical Protection Specialist
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant2007 — 2011
HUMINT Team Leader
Bulgarian Army2001 — 2007
SIGINT Team Leader
Bulgarian Army
Selected specialist training
Continuous development across physical protection and security culture.
- Physical Protection Against Sabotage: Assessing Vulnerabilities and Identifying Vital Areas · Delft
- Foundations of Physical Protection at Facilities Holding Nuclear or Radioactive Materials · London
- Nuclear Material Accountancy and Control for Nuclear Security · Beijing
- Nuclear Security Culture in Practice · Budapest
- Preventive and Protective Measures Against Insider Threats · Tokai
- International Training Course on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Facilities and Materials · Albuquerque
- Cybersecurity in Management Systems · Sofia
Nuclear Security
International engagement grounded in operational experience.
Operational expertise
Counter-UAS systems
Professional foundation in military radar reconnaissance and electronic warfare, including interference with aeronautical communications and radio-navigation. Hands-on experience in commissioning two different types of counter-UAS systems at Kozloduy NPP. This practical expertise has also informed contributions at international specialist exchanges and an IAEA consultancy meeting.
Sandia National Laboratories · USANuclear Security Technical Exchange on Uncrewed Autonomous Systems (UAS)Sharing practical counter-UAS expertiseWINS · Online · 14–15 April 2026Workshop on Operational Experience with Drones in Nuclear Security: Benefits and ThreatsSharing practical counter-UAS expertise as a nuclear site operatorInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) · Vienna · 5–8 February 2024Consultancy Meeting on the Nuclear Security Implications of Uncrewed Aerial, Ground, and Maritime Systems (EVT2301607)Participation in international expert consultations on the nuclear security implications of uncrewed systems
Security culture
Team leader for the first three nuclear security culture self-assessments at Kozloduy NPP, followed by management oversight of the fourth cycle in 2025.
International engagement
Repeated participation as a lecturer at IAEA seminars and as an expert in technical and consultancy meetings in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America.
Expert contribution and consultancy
Contributor to IAEA teaching materials, senior management awareness training and leadership development for nuclear security. Since 2024, physical protection consultant to Worley for the El-Dabaa NPP project.
Selected publications
Writing on security culture and nuclear security.
A selection of articles, professional contributions and teaching materials.
2023
Model of Corporate Security Culture and a Methodology for Its Assessment
Annual of Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen · Faculty of Technical Sciences, Vol. XII E2021
Possibilities for Adapting the Security Culture Model and Assessment Tool for the Corporate Sector
Journal Scientific and Applied Research, 21(1), pp. 36–39 · DOI 10.46687/jsar.v21i1.3172021
Benefits of Improving Security Culture in the Corporate Sector
Annual of Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Vol. XI E, pp. 252–255 · ISSN 1311-834X2019
The Role of Nuclear Security Culture in the Context of a Terrorist Threat
Proceedings of the Annual University Scientific Conference, pp. 1202–1216 · ISSN 2367-74812016
Self-Assessment of Nuclear Security Culture at Kozloduy NPP: Cost and Benefit
With Paul Ebel and Igor Khripunov2013
Handbook for Specialized Security Activities During Transport of Radiological and Nuclear Materials
Co-author · General Directorate National Police, SofiaContact
For professional correspondence and international cooperation.
vladimir@vladoyankov.com+359 973 7 25 80
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
Security Division · 3321 Kozloduy, Bulgaria