Key facts
- An unidentified drone exploded in Bulgaria near a gas pipeline compressor station.
- The drone entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania.
- Bulgaria's Defense Ministry suggested the drone was a Ukrainian 'Maya' decoy.
- Ukraine denied intentionally targeting Bulgaria and called for a joint investigation.
- No casualties or damage were reported from the explosion.
An unidentified drone exploded on Bulgarian territory near an international gas pipeline on August 8, according to Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. The drone entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania and detonated approximately 100 meters inside Bulgarian territory, about 1 kilometer from a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. The drone was not detected in either Romanian or Bulgarian airspace, and no casualties or damage were reported. Bulgaria's Defense Ministry later indicated that initial analysis of the wreckage suggested it was a 'Maya' decoy drone commonly used by Ukrainian forces, but stated there was no reason to believe the incident was intentional. Kyiv responded by denying any intentional targeting of Bulgaria and expressed openness to a joint investigation, with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi attributing such incursions to Russia's ongoing war. The incident follows a series of drone incursions in Romania this summer, including Russian UAVs being shot down and a Russian drone strike that injured two people in Galați.