A drone exploded in Bulgaria near the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, the latest in a series of sightings of unidentified aerial devices on European territory amid rising regional tensions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Saturday that the drone detonated near the Romanian border and the pipeline connecting Turkey with Ukraine. "The drone exploded right near the Kardam checkpoint with Romania," he said in a video released by the government, about one kilometer (0.62 miles) from the Balkan Stream compressor station. "There were no casualties," Radev added.
In a separate development, a German armed forces spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that two drones had been detected at around 10 p.m. Thursday (8 p.m. GMT) at a military base in Mechernich, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Belgian border. Military personnel were deployed to the site, and German police are also investigating.
German media reported that the Bundeswehr area in Mechernich houses a high-security underground storage facility for military equipment and spare parts, and is also the base for personnel responsible for maintaining U.S. Patriot missile defense systems.
Earlier, a drone was also spotted on Tuesday evening at Leipzig/Halle airport, a civilian cargo hub and NATO logistics center. According to German media, the device was found near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 transport aircraft.
These incidents have revived concerns that Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine could draw neighboring NATO countries into the conflict. They have also fueled debate over whether key alliance members like Germany are prepared to deal with new security threats.
German authorities have not publicly blamed any foreign country for this week's incidents, but some politicians have accused Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since its 2022 invasion. NATO and European Union officials have previously attributed responsibility to Russia for earlier drone sightings.
In July, after a suspected Russian drone appeared over Romanian airspace, the European Commission stated that it showed Russia's war had "crossed yet another line." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Moscow's "reckless" behavior "is a threat to us all." U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pledged the alliance would "defend every inch" of its territory.
Russia has denied the allegations. On Friday, the Russian Embassy in Berlin called the Leipzig incident "a fabricated provocation," saying it was another example of blaming Russia without evidence.
