Bulgaria to Purchase Drone-Countermeasure Systems with EU Funding Following Drone Crash – Euractiv
Bulgaria plans to purchase about ten systems for detecting and destroying drones under the EU’s SAFE loan program, following an incident on August 8 in which a drone exploded on Bulgarian territory. This was announced by Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
Chief of the General Staff Emil Eftimov noted that existing radars cannot detect such small targets, so the army needs specialized equipment. Funding will come from the 3.26 billion euros allocated to Bulgaria under the European defense initiative SAFE. The procurement process will involve selecting manufacturers from other countries within the bloc. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev also noted that the country is negotiating with partners to strengthen border security.
Source: Euractiv.
On the morning of August 8 in Bulgaria, a drone that entered the country’s airspace from the north exploded near the border with Romania. According to Deutsche Welle, the incident occurred in a sunflower field 100 meters from the border.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense stated that the drone, which exploded near a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, was likely of Ukrainian manufacture.
