- Drone entered Bulgarian airspace at 8:10 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and exploded in a sunflower field near the Romanian border.
- Bulgaria's defence ministry said the drone was most likely a Maya decoy drone, widely used by Ukrainian armed forces.
- The ministry stated there was no reason to believe the incident was intentional.
- President Radev noted the drone was not detected earlier, highlighting challenges in detection.
- He also mentioned a delay in the delivery of high-precision radars to the Bulgarian army and promised action.
A drone exploded in Bulgarian airspace near the Romanian border on Saturday morning, with no reported casualties or damage. The incident occurred at 8:10 a.m. local time in a sunflower field near Kardam, according to Prime Minister Rumen Radev.15
Initial assessments by Bulgaria's defense ministry indicate that the drone was likely a Maya decoy drone, commonly used by the Ukrainian armed forces. Radev emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest the explosion was intentional, stating, "There was no reason to believe the incident was intentional."4
The explosion site was notably close to critical infrastructure, located 1,000 meters from Bulgaria's Trans-Balkan gas pipeline compressor station and 200 meters from Romania's compressor station. Radev announced plans to enhance security measures at strategic sites and increase surveillance along the Bulgaria-Romania border.
The drone had not been detected in either Bulgarian or Romanian airspace prior to the explosion, highlighting ongoing challenges in drone detection and identification. Radev also mentioned delays in the delivery of high-precision radars to the Bulgarian military, promising that action would be taken to address these issues.6
“The drone entered at 8:10 a.m. local time and was not detected earlier, underscoring radar gaps. President Radev promised action on delayed high-precision radar deliveries to the Bulgarian army.”
