Bulgaria’s PM says drone explodes near gas pipeline close to Romanian border

On Saturday morning, a drone entered Bulgarian airspace and detonated near an international gas pipeline, just after crossing the border from Romania, according to the Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. The explosion occurred around 5 a.m., approximately 100 meters into Bulgarian territory, and went undetected as it flew through both Romanian and Bulgarian airspace.

Radev stated that there were no casualties or damage to buildings and that the area had been secured. The drone was situated about 200 meters away from a Romanian compressor station and roughly 1 kilometer from Bulgaria's compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. Radev promised to monitor the situation closely and increase surveillance, adding that border police anti-drone detection and countermeasure capabilities would be moved from the border with Turkey to the border with Romania.

The origin of the drone remained unclear, and it was uncertain whether it was linked to Russia or Ukraine. This incident is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council the following week. Both Bulgaria and Romania are members of NATO and the European Union.