Bulgaria Identifies Ukrainian Decoy Drone Found Near Gas Pipeline

The Bulgarian Defense Ministry has identified the drone that exploded on Aug. 8 near the Kardam border crossing as a Ukrainian “Maiia” decoy drone, noting there is no evidence to suggest the crash was an intentional act. Following a preliminary analysis of the wreckage found near General Toshevo, the Defense Ministry stated that this specific type of decoy drone is widely used by the Ukrainian military.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Despite the assessment that the crash was accidental, the incident has triggered a diplomatic response. According to BNT News, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova has summoned the Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk, to provide an explanation. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 10, as the ambassador is currently out of the country. Ukraine responds to the drone incident Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi quickly addressed the situation, assuring that Kyiv is in close contact with Bulgarian authorities to clarify the circumstances of the crash. “We can definitely say that the Ukrainian Defense Forces did not intentionally direct any assets toward Bulgaria. We are currently clarifying all the circumstances of what happened and all the technical facts,” Tykhyi told reporters. “We are completely open to cooperating with Bulgaria to clarify the details.” Tykhyi also reminded the international community of the broader context, pointing out that the root cause of such incidents remains the ongoing war initiated by Russia. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Buys 70 ATACMS Missiles From Turkey The US State Department has notified Congress of a massive arms transfer from Turkey to Ukraine, including 70 ATACMS missiles and 12 M270 MLRS launchers. “It is important to note that the root cause of all incidents of this type is Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has been going on for five years, is being purposefully prolonged by Moscow, and threatens not only Ukrainians but also, unfortunately, other peoples and countries,” Tykhyi stated. “That is why an early end to the war is critical to ensuring the security of the region, and we count on working together with our partners to force Moscow to make peace.” Drone crash in Bulgaria The diplomatic fallout follows a Saturday morning incident where a drone crossed from Romania into Bulgarian airspace and exploded in a sunflower field about 100 meters inside the border. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev confirmed that there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure, though the device detonated just one kilometer away from a compressor station for the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. Following an emergency meeting of Bulgaria’s Security Council, Radev explained that the drone had evaded both Romanian and Bulgarian air defense systems due to its low altitude, making it impossible to ensure dense radar coverage. In response to the incursion, Radev announced that Bulgaria would redeploy border guard personnel and anti-drone equipment from its border with Turkey to the Romanian border to better monitor the area. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.