Bulgaria and Ukraine investigate drone crash near gas pipeline

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Posted Aug 20, 2026, 02:30 AM UTC · In the digest of 2026-08-20-0230
Bulgaria and Ukraine investigate drone crash near gas pipeline
Photo: Le Monde

Bulgaria and Ukraine are investigating the crash of an unmanned aircraft near a northeastern Bulgarian gas pipeline, with officials ruling out an intentional strike.

Sofia and Kyiv are coordinating investigations following the crash of an unmanned aerial vehicle near a gas pipeline in northeastern Bulgaria over the weekend. Bulgaria's Ministry of Defense reported that the recovered wreckage corresponds to a drone model widely deployed by Ukrainian armed forces, though defense officials underscored that initial findings show no indication of a deliberate strike on Bulgarian territory.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhy affirmed that Ukraine did not intentionally target the country and pledged a comprehensive inquiry. Tykhy confirmed that Ukrainian authorities remain in close contact with Bulgarian counterparts to determine how the aircraft strayed off course. The incident resulted in no reported casualties or structural damage to the energy network.

Sources: Le Monde, Le Soir.

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