A drone exploded near Bulgaria’s border with Romania and about 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) from a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Saturday. No casualties were reported.
Separately, Germany’s armed forces said two drones were seen on Thursday night at a military base in Mechernich, North Rhine-Westphalia. Military personnel were deployed and German police are investigating; German officials have not publicly blamed a foreign country for the incidents.
At a glance:
- Bulgaria: The drone exploded near the Kardam border crossing with Romania, close to the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
- Germany: Two drones were spotted at a military base in Mechernich, about 35km (22 miles) from the Belgian border.
- Leipzig/Halle: A drone was found late Tuesday at the civilian freight airport and NATO logistics hub, near Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft.
- Attribution: Some politicians have accused Russia, but German officials have not publicly assigned responsibility and Russia has rejected the allegations.
What happened in Bulgaria and Germany
Radev said the Bulgarian drone exploded in the immediate vicinity of the Kardam border crossing with Romania. The blast occurred about 1 kilometre from the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline’s compressor station; the pipeline links Turkiye to Ukraine. The prime minister said there were no casualties.
Related coverage: US regulator moves to block Chinese military-grade drones over security concerns.
In Germany, a military spokesperson said two drones were spotted at about 10pm (20:00 GMT) on Thursday at a base in Mechernich, in North Rhine-Westphalia. The site is about 35km from the Belgian border, and German police are investigating alongside deployed military personnel.
Why the sightings are drawing attention
A separate drone was discovered late Tuesday at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a civilian freight airport and NATO logistics hub. German media reported that it was found near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft.
The incidents have revived concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could entangle neighbouring NATO members and prompted debate over Germany’s readiness for emerging security threats. German media have reported that the Mechernich site includes a high-security underground storage facility for military equipment and spare parts and supports personnel who maintain US Patriot air-defence systems.
More context: Military-grade bomb intercepted near Irish border leads to law student charge.
What officials have and have not established
Some German politicians have accused Russia over the week’s drone incidents, but German government officials have not publicly blamed any foreign country. Russia’s embassy in Berlin described the Leipzig event as a fabricated provocation and rejected accusations made without evidence.
NATO and European Union officials have blamed Russia for past drone sightings. After a suspected Russian drone was seen over NATO member Romania’s airspace in July, the European Commission said Russia’s war had crossed another line. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called Moscow’s behaviour a danger, while the US ambassador to NATO pledged that the alliance would defend its territory.
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