An unidentified drone has exploded in Bulgaria near the Romanian border and a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, prompting authorities to increase surveillance around strategic infrastructure.
The drone entered Bulgarian airspace on Saturday morning and exploded in a sunflower field near Kardam, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. No one was injured and authorities found no damage to buildings or infrastructure.
The explosion occurred about one kilometre from Bulgaria’s compressor station on the Trans-Balkan pipeline and about 200 metres from a Romanian compressor station, Reuters reported. The pipeline route connects Turkey with Ukraine and forms part of the gas network serving countries across south-eastern Europe.
Authorities have not established who operated the drone, where its journey began or why it entered Bulgarian airspace.
Initial reports said the aircraft crossed into Bulgaria from Romania.
Romanian border police first detected the sound of the aircraft, while a Bulgarian border patrol at General Toshevo later heard the explosion, according to Radev.
The drone entered Bulgarian airspace at about 8.10am local time, according to Reuters. Authorities located the crash site after the explosion and sealed off the area for an investigation.
Radev said neither Romanian nor Bulgarian systems had detected the aircraft while it travelled through their airspace.
He said Bulgaria would strengthen surveillance along its border with Romania and increase protection around strategic sites. He also referred to delays in the delivery of high-precision radar systems for Bulgaria’s armed forces and said the government would address the issue.
Investigators are examining debris to establish the model and origin of the aircraft.
Bulgarian newspaper BTA reported that the explosion damaged the drone enough to prevent an immediate identification. Radev said the aircraft appeared larger than drones used for common civilian purposes and was carrying material that exploded.
The incident follows a series of drone incursions involving NATO countries in Europe, with Romania facing several cases connected to the war across its border in Ukraine.
Romanian forces shot down three drones over three days in late July. Romanian authorities identified at least one as a Shahed-type drone of the kind used by Russian forces.
In May, a Russian drone carrying explosives struck an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați. The impact caused a roof fire and injured two people.
A Ukrainian naval drone exploded in the Romanian port of Constanța the following month. Ukraine’s military said Russian electronic warfare had forced the drone off course.
Romania and Bulgaria both belong to NATO and the European Union. Both have Black Sea coastlines, placing them close to routes used during the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Two drones were also spotted on Thursday night over a German military facility at Mechernich in North Rhine-Westphalia, a German military spokesperson told AFP. Military personnel were deployed and German police opened an investigation.
German media reported that the Mechernich site contains an underground storage facility for military equipment and supports personnel who maintain US-made Patriot air defence systems.
Another drone was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Tuesday. German media reported that authorities discovered it near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft. The airport handles civilian freight and also serves as a logistics point for NATO.
Some European politicians have accused Russia of involvement in earlier drone activity, while Moscow has rejected accusations connected with incidents in Germany. Russia’s embassy in Berlin described the Leipzig case on Friday as a “fabricated provocation” and said accusations against Russia lacked evidence.
HT