A drone crashed and exploded on Bulgarian territory near the compressor station of the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline at the border with Romania. Bulgarian authorities suspect the drone may have belonged to Ukraine. Following the incident, the country's Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador for explanations. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), a meeting between Bulgaria's Foreign Minister and Ukrainian Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk is scheduled for Monday, August 10.
According to the country's authorities, the drone entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania and then exploded about a kilometer from the compressor station of the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. The facility is located near the former border checkpoint "Kardam."
Bulgaria's Defense Ministry suggested that it could be a Ukrainian decoy drone "Maya." At the same time, the country's authorities do not believe the drone was deliberately directed at Bulgarian territory.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that Ukrainian military did not deliberately direct any drones toward Bulgaria.
"The Defense Forces of Ukraine did not deliberately direct any means toward Bulgaria," said Heorhii Tykhyi, official spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
Kyiv also expressed readiness to cooperate with Sofia to clarify all circumstances if it is confirmed that the fallen drone indeed belonged to Ukraine.
After the drone fell, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council.
According to him, the drone was not detected in a timely manner by radar control means either in Romania or in Bulgaria. Radev stated that the incident once again demonstrated the need to strengthen capabilities for detecting low-flying targets.
Bulgarian authorities intend to strengthen the protection of strategic facilities and redeploy forces to counter drones.
In June 2026, Bulgaria ceased providing military aid to Ukraine. The country's authorities explained this decision by supporting diplomatic efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.