site.btaRussian Aerial Drone Found on Shabla Beach Destroyed by Bulgarian Navy

An aerial drone found on the Bulgarian Black Sea shore near Shabla on Friday was destroyed in a controlled manner by Bulgarian Navy personnel later in the day, the Defence Ministry's press office said. The drone bore no markings and was identified as a Russian Gerbera-2

The specialist team concluded that the drone had probably fallen into the sea and was subsequently washed ashore. It was destroyed on site, with all safety precautions strictly observed. It was not carrying an explosive device.

The presence of the drone on the beach north of Shabla Lighthouse was reported by an Interior Ministry operational duty officer at 10 a.m. on Friday. Following a request, approval by the Chief of Defence and an order issued by the Deputy Commander of the Navy, a specialist team from the Varna Naval Base tasked with responding to and dealing with the consequences of disasters was activated. The team travelled to the area and examined the object, the Defence Ministry said.

The drone, measuring 3 by 4 metres, was found on the beach about 800 metres from Shabla Lighthouse.