An unidentified drone exploded in Bulgaria on Saturday, close to the Romanian border. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that the drone had entered Bulgarian airspace from Romanian airspace before detonating near a compressor station of the Trans-Balkan Pipeline. The explosion occurred approximately 1,000 meters from the former Kardam border crossing.
Radev explained that neither the Bulgarian nor the Romanian authorities had detected the drone while it was flying within their respective airspaces. Romanian border police had noticed the sound of the drone, and a distinct loud explosion was reported by a Bulgarian border patrol. The site of the explosion was immediately identified, and fortunately, there were no casualties or damage to buildings or infrastructure.
An investigation has been launched to determine the type of drone involved. This incident follows a period when Romanian armed forces shot down three drones in their airspace within a few days in July. At least one of those earlier intercepted drones had been identified as a Shahed type, which is also used by Russian forces.
