site.btaUPDATED Drone Breaches Bulgarian Airspace, Explodes near Romanian Border

An unidentified drone entered Bulgarian airspace from the north and exploded approximately 100 metres inside Bulgarian territory, prompting authorities to strengthen surveillance and amplify security measures along the country's northern frontier. The incident occurred in the immediate vicinity of the former Kardam border checkpoint between Bulgaria and Romania, and about 1,000 metres from Bulgaria’s compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline route. No one was injured and there was no damage to buildings, infrastructure or the surrounding agricultural land.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced the incident after an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers. He said the drone had entered from Romanian airspace but had not been detected either in Romania or Bulgaria. There was also no information from the Combined Air Operations Center in Torrejon, Spain, which monitors airspace across Southern Europe. Radev explained that such drones are difficult to detect due to their small size. "When flying at low altitude," he said, "it is not possible to ensure sufficiently dense radar coverage."

Asked whether the incident was a deliberate attack and whether the drone had been carrying anything, he replied that this could not be established at this stage. He added that the drone had been carrying a substantial amount of explosive material, enough to produce an explosion that could be heard from a considerable distance.

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said at the briefing that after July 31, in response to developments in Romania and the drones shot down by the Romanian Air Force, Bulgaria stepped up surveillance of its airspace by deploying additional personnel and military assets. According to Stoyanov, airspace protection has been reinforced with additional surface-to-air missile systems, Cougar helicopters and Su-25 aircraft. Additional radar stations have also been deployed at designated radar posts.

The Dobrich Regional Administration told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) on Saturday that no damage had been reported to critical infrastructure following the entry of a drone into Bulgarian airspace. Regional Governor Ruslan Tomov, Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov and Defence Ministry experts were at the scene of the incident. No damage was caused to the border crossing, the nearby compressor station or any other critical infrastructure. No injuries or fires were reported.

Later on Saturday, the Defence Ministry press service said that, based on an initial analysis of the wreckage, the drone was most likely a Maya decoy drone. The ministry noted that drones of this type are widely used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, adding that there is currently no reason to believe that the incident was deliberate.

According to the Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov, there were no deliberate actions against Bulgaria in the drone incident. Eftimov specified that the aircraft was a decoy, of the Maya type. He believes the drone was diverted by electronic warfare systems and took a course outside the range of the radars. The Chief of Defence added that he spoke to his Romanian counterpart, who assured him that they had been unable to detect the aircraft.

Dobrich Regional Governor Ruslan Tomov told BTA on Sunday that the situation in the area around the village of Kardam is calm, with no tension. He reported that there is heightened police presence at the site of the incident. Tomov said that the procedural and investigative measures were completed on Saturday, and that the wreckage of the aircraft was recovered and sent for forensic analysis. He reported that the Border Police Directorate in General Toshevo was provided with a mobile anti-drone system, which enables enhanced surveillance of the airspace. Border patrols have also been stepped up.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova invited the Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk, to a meeting over the drone incident. The two will meet on Monday.

Political reactions

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, President Iliana Iotova commented that she is extremely disappointed by the way this incident is being exploited for crude political ends. She added that the Bulgarian people's security is her top priority at the moment and that she is counting on all institutions and political groups to work jointly, so that this security can be guaranteed.

The head of State said that Bulgaria must play its part in stepping up diplomatic pressure to find a peaceful solution in Ukraine. She emphasized that it would be worthwhile to organize a meeting of the Black Sea region countries, excluding Russia, to ensure the security of the waters. In her view, international pressure is needed to prevent any escalation of tension in the Black Sea and hostilities, including those affecting commercial shipping. "Bulgaria has a vital interest in ensuring that Black Sea routes remain secure, so that we do not suffer losses not only in terms of security but also economically," she added.

GERB said in a statement published on Facebook that Bulgaria’s security is not a subject for partisan propaganda. Bulgarian citizens deserve clear answers about what type of drone was involved, where it came from, what route it followed, and whether the incident was accidental or a deliberate act targeting the territory of a NATO member state. The party said that the incident once again highlights the need for a common European and allied anti-drone defence system along the entire eastern flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, with integrated surveillance, information sharing and a coordinated response. "At a time of heightened risks, Bulgaria must act calmly, professionally and together with its allies. National security requires facts, capabilities and unity, not political speculation," GERB said. The party's chair, Boyko Borissov, told a press briefing on Sunday that Bulgaria must develop its defence industry and has the potential to do so but is not using it. 

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov wrote on his Facebook page that he is waiting for details to be released regarding the drone. Kostadinov stated that the aerial vehicle was probably Ukrainian, Russian, or Iraqi, where the former was most likely, while the latter was very unlikely. The party leader called the incident unsurprising, considering "the aggressive policy that successive Bulgarian governments have been pursuing". On Sunday, in a statement, Kostadov called for all the facts and circumstances surrounding the Ukrainian drone that crashed in Bulgaria to be clarified as soon as possible. "Why did Bulgaria not invoke the famous Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, to which our Euro-Atlantic supporters swear allegiance? Or is it that if Ukraine attacks us and conducts reconnaissance freely in Bulgarian airspace, that’s no problem," Kostadinov said, adding that Ukraine committed an act of aggression against Bulgaria on Saturday.

Yes, Bulgaria Co-chair and Democratic Bulgaria MP Ivalyo Mirchev said in a post on Facebook that the incident near Kardam should be investigated as a potential incident targeting critical infrastructure in a NATO member state. "If a Russian link is established, the message will be difficult to misinterpret: intimidation, testing our response and an attempt to demonstrate that critical European infrastructure can be reached," Mirchev said. "The response should not be fear. It should be greater security, stronger coordination among allies, and an even faster push to achieve energy independence for Bulgaria and the region," he added.

In a post published on his Facebook page, Continue the Change MP and member of the parliamentary defence committee Radoslav Ribarski commented that the key question that urgently needs to be answered is whether the incident was a coincidence or an attempt to target critical infrastructure.