Drone explodes near major gas pipeline in Bulgaria after entering from Romania

SOFIA, Aug 8: An unidentified drone exploded in Bulgaria on Saturday less than a mile from a compressor station linked to the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, after entering Bulgarian airspace from Romania, according to Bulgarian media reports.

The drone exploded about 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) from the compressor station near the former Kardam border checkpoint between Bulgaria and Romania, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported.

No injuries were reported, and authorities said there was no damage to buildings, infrastructure or nearby agricultural land.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced the incident following an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers. He said the drone had not been detected while flying through either Romanian or Bulgarian airspace, and that NATO's Combined Air Operations Center Torrejon (CAOC TJ) in Spain had also provided no information about the aircraft.

“At low altitude, it is not possible to ensure sufficiently dense radar coverage,” Radev said at a news conference.

Authorities quickly identified the location where the drone exploded and confirmed that there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure.

Radev said the drone was carrying a substantial quantity of explosives, producing a blast that could be heard from a considerable distance. The incident has raised security concerns because of the drone's proximity to critical energy infrastructure