Bulgaria Recovers Multiple Russian and Ukrainian Drones from Black Sea

The Bulgarian Navy and Ministry of Defence recovered or neutralized at least nine unmanned aerial vehicles and drone fragments along the Black Sea coast between August 25 and August 27. Recoveries occurred across multiple sites, including Varna, Pomorie, the Kamchia resort, and near Kavarna and Chernomorets. Navy sappers attributed the surge of debris to strong northeast winds and currents carrying wreckage from intensified fighting near the Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Izmail.

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the devices were a mix of Russian and Ukrainian reconnaissance drones or decoys. He stated that the recovered items carried no munitions or warheads and therefore posed no immediate explosive threat. While some fragments were transported to naval bases in Varna and Burgas for examination, other objects were detonated at sea following safety protocols.

Stoyanov clarified that the presence of the debris does not prove a violation of Bulgarian airspace. He also dismissed the feasibility of a European drone wall, arguing that anti-drone systems have limited range and require integration into a broader air defence system. Separately, the Military Prosecutor’s Office in Sliven is investigating a drone that fell near the village of Kardam.