Ukraine has refuted claims of targeting Bulgaria following a drone breach that occurred on Saturday. The drone entered Bulgarian airspace and detonated close to an international gas pipeline shortly after crossing from Romania. The event resulted in no casualties or damage.
According to Bulgaria’s defense ministry in Sofia, the drone resembled those used by Ukrainian armed forces, suggesting the incident was accidental. As NATO and European Union members, Bulgaria and Romania hold strategic alliances.
A spokesperson from Ukraine’s foreign ministry stated that the Ukrainian military is investigating the matter. Heorhii Tykhyi emphasized that the intention was not to target Bulgaria deliberately. Ukraine and Bulgaria remain in “close contact” to determine the incident’s details.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev of Bulgaria highlighted that the unmanned aerial vehicle exploded shortly after 5 a.m., around 109 yards inside Bulgarian territory. During its passage through Romanian and Bulgarian airspace, it went undetected. Radev, present at the 2026 NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara, Turkey, elaborated that the explosion location was about 200 meters (218 yards) from a Romanian compressor station, and 0.6 miles from Bulgaria’s station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
Bulgaria will enhance surveillance and adjust border police capabilities from the Turkey to Romania border to counter such incidents.
Stoyanov noted the drone carried substantial explosives, evident from the blast’s intensity and resulting black smoke. Detecting drones is challenging due to their compactness and low altitude. Instances of drones entering NATO airspace have been reported since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In June, NATO fighter jets intercepted a drone in Latvia’s airspace, while drones have also crashed in Estonia and Lithuania. Moldova and Romania, neighboring Ukraine, have reported similar incursions. Officials attribute these inadvertent breaches to Russian electronic warfare.
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