Drone from Romanian airspace explodes near Bulgaria’s Kardam village
A drone believed to be a Maya decoy entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania and exploded near Kardam, with no casualties or damage reported.
Kardam, Bulgaria. A drone entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania on Saturday and exploded in a sunflower field near the border village of Kardam, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. No casualties or damage to infrastructure were reported.
Initial assessment
Bulgaria’s defence ministry said initial analysis indicated that the unmanned aerial vehicle was most likely a Maya decoy drone, a type widely used by the Ukrainian armed forces.
The ministry said there was no reason to believe the incident was intentional.
Location and response
Radev said the drone entered Bulgarian airspace at 8.10am local time, or 0500 GMT. The explosion occurred about 1,000 metres from Bulgaria’s compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, which runs from Turkey to Ukraine, and 200 metres from Romania’s compressor station.
He said security at strategic sites and surveillance along the Bulgaria-Romania border would be increased.
Detection concerns
The drone was not detected earlier in either Bulgarian or Romanian airspace, Radev said, adding that the incident showed drone detection and identification remained a challenge.
He also referred to delays in delivering high-precision radars to the Bulgarian army and said action would be taken.
Drone incursions linked by Western governments to the Russia-Ukraine war have become more frequent, increasing concerns over NATO members’ defences against security threats.
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