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.

Political reactions followed after the incident was announced:

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.

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". The MP criticized Prime Minister Radev for failing to notify parliamentary parties of the meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers, after which Radev announced the incident. 

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.