Unidentified Drone Explodes in Bulgaria Near Strategic Gas Pipeline

An unidentified aerial vehicle exploded today in Bulgarian airspace near the border with Romania.

The drone is suspected of having entered from Romanian territory and crashed about one kilometer from a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, near the former Kardam border crossing.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the sound of the aircraft was first heard by Romanian border police, after which Bulgarian patrols detected a powerful explosion. Authorities immediately located the crash site, where no casualties, damage to buildings or infrastructure damage were reported. According to Radev, Bulgarian and Romanian surveillance systems had been unable to detect the drone as it passed through the two countries’ airspace.

Following the incident, authorities stepped up surveillance in the area and launched an investigation to determine the device’s origin and type. The Kardam region is an important part of the Vertical Gas Corridor, through which liquefied gas is transported from Greece to countries in Southeastern and Central Europe.

The incident follows the downing of three drones by Romania in late July. At least one of them was identified as a “Shahed” model used by Russian forces. Bulgaria and Romania, both NATO members and Black Sea countries, are facing a growing number of incidents linked to the war in Ukraine.