Drone carrying explosives found in Bulgarian town, possibly linked to Russian-Ukrainian conflict
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian authorities have sent a special unit to inspect and deactivate a drone carrying explosives that landed in the Black Sea town of Tyulenovo on Sunday evening, the defence ministry said on Monday.
The team, dispatched by NATO-member Bulgaria, will determine how to dispose of the drone after conducting the necessary inspection, according to a statement from the ministry. The regional government had requested their assistance.
Defence Minister Todor Tagarev commented to reporters, “We can certainly assume that it (the drone) is related to the war that Russia launched against Ukraine.” He expressed concerns about the increasing risks to Bulgaria’s security as a result of the conflict.
Details about the origin and route of the drone remain undisclosed, as Tagarev did not provide further information.
The tourist resort of Tyulenovo, located 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Romanian border and opposite Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, has been a target of Ukrainian drone attacks.
On Sunday evening, the area was cordoned off by police, and public access to local restaurant terraces was restricted, according to Marian Zhechev, mayor of Shabla municipality, which includes Tyulenovo. The drone was discovered on rocks near moored boats and was described by Zhechev as an “aircraft with standard ammunition.”
It remains unclear whether the drone fell from the air or was washed up by sea currents.
Witnesses cited by the Nova.bg website stated that the drone was between 3 and 3.5 meters long and had an attached container holding explosives.
The discovery in Bulgaria follows last week’s finding of suspected drone fragments in Romania, following another attack by Russia on Ukraine’s Danube ports across the border.
Reporting by Stoyan Nenov in Sofia and Ivana Sekularac in Belgrade; Editing by Toby Chopra and Gareth Jones