Bulgaria Reports Drone Explosion Near Border, Sees No Intentional Act

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rumen Radev reported that a drone entered Bulgarian airspace and subsequently exploded near the border on Saturday. The Ministry of Defense stated that the drone was of a type widely employed by Ukraine. The incident occurred approximately 100 meters from the Romanian border and about 170 kilometers from Ukraine. The area is significant as it hosts the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, which transports gas between Turkey and Ukraine; however, the pipeline sustained no damage, and no injuries were reported. The explosion was audible from a distance, with black smoke rising afterward, suggesting the drone carried a substantial amount of explosives, according to the prime minister. Following Romania's action of shooting down a drone last month, Bulgaria had reportedly enhanced its air defenses. However, both Bulgaria and Romania had not detected the drone before its crash, Prime Minister Radev noted. Authorities are currently investigating the incident but have found no evidence to suggest it was a deliberate act.

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There are at this moment „no indications” that it is an intentional incident.