Ukraine Denies Targeting Bulgaria After Drone Explosion Near Gas Pipeline

Ukraine has refuted claims of deliberately targeting Bulgaria following a drone incident. A drone entered Bulgarian airspace on Saturday, exploding near an international gas pipeline shortly after crossing from Romania. Thankfully, there were no casualties or damage.

Bulgaria’s defense ministry indicated that the drone appeared similar to those used by Ukrainian forces, suggesting an accidental incident. As NATO and European Union members, both Bulgaria and Romania have expressed concern over the event.

A spokesperson from Ukraine’s foreign ministry acknowledged the military’s investigation into the matter, emphasizing that Bulgaria was not a deliberate target. Heorhii Tykhyi, speaking on Saturday, confirmed that Ukraine and Bulgaria are maintaining communication to clarify the situation.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev of Bulgaria stated the drone exploded around 5 a.m., approximately 109 yards into Bulgarian territory. It went unnoticed while traversing Romanian and Bulgarian airspace. The incident occurred near a Romanian compressor station, situated about 200 meters (218 yards) from it, and about 0.6 miles from Bulgaria’s station on the Trans-Balkan pipeline.

Radev declared that they would enhance surveillance and redeploy anti-drone measures from the Turkish to the Romanian border. The drone, likely carrying a substantial amount of explosives, caused a significant blast and created a column of black smoke. Ivan Stoyanov noted the difficulty in detecting these drones due to their small size and low flight altitude.

Drone incursions into NATO airspace have occurred frequently since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In June, NATO fighter jets shot down a drone in Latvia’s airspace. Other incursions have been reported in the Baltic states—Estonia and Lithuania—and neighboring lands like Moldova and Romania, with officials attributing these to Russian electronic interference.