site.btaNavy Surveys and Transports Objects Found at Sea or on Shore in Three Recent Cases

Personnel from the Bulgarian Navy have recently responded to three reports of potentially hazardous objects found off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast or on the seashore, the Defence Ministry said on its website on Friday.

A specialized team from the Varna Naval Base surveyed a drifting object spotted 50 meters offshore near the village of Tyulenovo in the northeastern Dobrich region. The team identified the object as a rocket motor, the ministry said.

Specialists from the Burgas Naval Base examined a drone washed ashore on a beach in Primorsko, in the Burgas region. The unmanned aerial vehicle was identified as a reconnaissance drone.

Navy personnel also responded to a report of drone parts found on a beach near the village of Lozenets, also in the Burgas region.

To ensure the safety of navigation and tourism, the Navy's specialized teams transported the objects to the naval bases in Varna and Burgas, strictly following safety procedures.

Navy personnel carried out the operations at all three locations on orders from the Chief of Defence and following instructions from the Deputy Commander of the Navy.

Late last month, the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Naval Group carried out an operation to destroy a drifting drone. The aircraft was floating 21 nautical miles east of Ahtopol when it was spotted on July 21, after the group's vessels had departed from the port of Burgas. The tactical group commander assigned the Turkish Navy minehunter Akcay to inspect the object. The ship's diving team identified it as a drifting unmanned aerial vehicle with a broken wing. An underwater inspection found no ammunition attached to its fuselage.