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Drone Near Pipeline
A drone carrying explosives entered Bulgaria and exploded on Saturday near the Romanian border and the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev saying the blast caused no casualties.
“The drone exploded in the immediate vicinity of the Kardam border-crossing with Romania”
Radev said the drone exploded in the immediate vicinity of the Kardam border-crossing with Romania, about 1,000 metres from the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline's compressor station, and that the drone later crashed into a sunflower field.
The Bulgarian defence ministry examined debris and said the drone was of a type "widely used by the Ukrainian military," while also stating that "currently, nothing suggests that this was a deliberate incident".
Ukraine rejected any suggestion it deliberately targeted Bulgaria, with Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi saying, "the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not intentionally direct any assets toward Bulgaria," as Bulgaria examined the wreckage and prepared to redeploy border police anti-drone capabilities.
Summons and Disputes
Bulgaria’s foreign minister summoned the Ukrainian ambassador after the crash near the pipeline, with aides saying the meeting will take place on Monday following an emergency government meeting.
Radev said the drone was not detected by either Bulgarian or Romanian airspace surveillance systems, and he attributed the failure to technical limitations, saying small, low-flying drones are difficult to detect with existing radar coverage.
The Bulgarian defence ministry later said an initial analysis indicated the drone was most likely a "Maya" decoy drone, and it added that "there is no reason to believe that the incident was intentional," while Ukraine said it was working with Bulgarian authorities to clarify the circumstances.
In response to the incident, Radev said, "We continue to monitor the situation and strengthen surveillance," and Bulgaria’s Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the incident would be raised at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council early next week.
What’s at Stake
The incident unfolded near compressor stations on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, which the AP described as an international gas pipeline close to Romania’s border, and the New Voice of Ukraine reported the crash site was cordoned off as border police, National Police and Defense Ministry units worked to determine the type of drone.
“Radev stressed that no casualties or damage to buildings or infrastructure had been recorded”
Radev said the drone exploded approximately 200 meters from a Romanian compressor station and roughly one kilometer from a Bulgarian compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, and he said the blast produced thick black smoke indicating a significant amount of explosives on board.
Beyond Bulgaria, Al Jazeera reported that drones were also spotted in Germany, including two drones detected at about 10pm on Thursday at a military base in Mechernich in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the Bundeswehr maintains equipment and spare parts for military hardware and personnel responsible for US Patriot air defences.
Al Jazeera also quoted Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi saying, "the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not intentionally direct any assets toward Bulgaria," as Bulgaria increased surveillance and said troops would be redeployed to border areas to detect drones and employ drone countermeasures.
