(ANSA-AFP) - SOFIA, NOV 7 - Bulgaria's parliament on Friday adopted legal changes to place Lukoil's refinery in the east of the country under state control following US sanctions against the Russian oil giant. The United States last month hit Russia's two biggest oil producers -- Rosneft and Lukoil -- with sanctions over its war in Ukraine. Lukoil operates the Balkan's largest oil refinery in the Black Sea city of Burgas. The US sanctions "will effectively lead to the shutdown of the refinery's operations... due to the refusal of all counterparties to make payments to companies belonging to Lukoil," said the draft legislation proposed by lawmakers from Bulgaria's ruling coalition. The law was fast-tracked through parliament, with a majority of lawmakers approving the amendment. According to the legislation, a special administrator will be appointed to exercise the shareholders' voting rights. The administrator is allowed to sell shares to a new owner, pending approval by the government. The Lukoil-Neftochim refinery is Bulgaria's largest company, which posted a turnover of about 4.7 billion euros ($5.4 billion) in 2024. Its distribution unit enjoys a quasi-monopoly on the Bulgarian market with a network of oil depots, petrol stations, as well as firms supplying ships and aircraft. (ANSA-AFP).