Ukrainian-type drone explodes near Bulgarian gas pipeline after crossing from Romania

A drone that crossed from Romania into Bulgaria on Saturday exploded close to an international gas pipeline shortly after 5 a.m., authorities said. The blast occurred about 100 metres inside Bulgarian territory, roughly 200 metres from a Romanian compressor station and about one kilometre from Bulgaria’s own compressor facility on the Trans-Balkan pipeline. No casualties or damage to structures were reported, and the area was cordoned off for investigation.

Bulgaria’s defence ministry indicated that an initial analysis of the wreckage points to a “Maya” decoy drone, a type widely employed by Ukrainian forces, and that the incident was likely accidental. The ministry added that there is no evidence the event was intentional.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry confirmed that its military is reviewing the case and emphasized that Kyiv did not deliberately target Bulgaria. “Ukraine and Bulgaria are in close contact to establish the circumstances of the incident,” spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that border police anti-drone detection and counter-measure assets will be shifted from the Turkish border to the Romanian frontier, and that the matter will be discussed at the upcoming North Atlantic Council meeting. Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov noted that the drone appeared to carry a substantial explosive load, making detection difficult due to its small size and low altitude.