site.btaUPDATED No Response Yet from Ukraine on Drone That Crashed Near Bulgaria-Romania Border, Defence Minister Says

Despite Monday’s meeting between Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister and Ukraine's Ambassador to Bulgaria, the inquiry sent to Ukraine through the security services has still received no response, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said here on Tuesday, commenting the drone that crashed on Saturday in the immediate vicinity of the former Kardam Border Crossing with Romania.

On August 8, a drone entered Bulgarian airspace and crashed some 100 meters inside Bulgarian territory, having approached from the direction of Romania. A preliminary analysis indicated that the aircraft was most likely a Maya decoy drone used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Minister said he had again spoken earlier in the day with the head of the Military Intelligence Service and instructed him to hold another meeting with Ukraine's military attaché and request the information once again. "We still have no such information," Stoyanov stressed. The Interior Ministry has also not provided information on whether there were explosives on board, he said, adding that he hoped it would be received soon. 

According to the Stoyanov, the fact that Ukraine has not sent drones in this direction does not mean that this particular drone could not have come from there. He explained that the drone's movement could also have been affected by GPS signal interference. "Of course, we are also monitoring GPS signal distortion. It comes from both warring sides," he said, adding that this is being observed over more than half of the country's territory.

"Today we will again insist on receiving an answer as to whether they used this drone. We sent Ukraine the identification details and the serial number associated with the drone's manufacture as early as Saturday. And we are asking them for information," Stoyanov said.

According to the Minister, the drone came from Romanian territory, judging by the way the debris was scattered. The Bulgarian side sent photographs to Romania, which confirmed the drone's identification. Ukraine has also confirmed its type. 

Stoyanov noted that detecting such unmanned aircraft is difficult when they fly at low altitudes. The Minister said the Defence Ministry is in talks to acquire additional counter-drone systems. 

The Defence Minister said that Bulgaria is currently holding serious talks on the purchase of such additional systems as soon as possible and deploying them. He specified that several systems are expected to be acquired within a month.

According to him, acquiring the systems through the SAFE mechanism would take longer, as such systems are not available off the shelf and would take a year to produce. "There are no such products ready-made and available for purchase. They are made to order," the Minister explained.

The situation around Bezmer Air Base is calm, with two tanker aircraft deployed there, and there have been no incidents. "Things are moving in the right direction," the Minister said in response to a journalist's question.

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov is in Yambol, where he discussed the development of the Kabile military formation with representatives of the local authorities.