Bulgaria says drone that exploded near gas pipeline was Ukrainian decoy, not attack

A drone that exploded Saturday near a Bulgarian gas pipeline was identified as a Ukrainian decoy, though preliminary findings suggest no intentional incident, prompting a response from Ukraine's foreign ministry. Bulgaria's Defense Ministry analyzed debris and identified the drone as a Maya decoy, a type widely used by Ukraine's military. Kyiv's spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said Ukraine did not intentionally direct any weapons toward Bulgaria and is cooperating fully with Sofia. Tykhyi blamed Russia's ongoing war as the root cause, citing regional threats, and urged partners to pressure Moscow for peace. Recent drone incidents were also reported over a German Patriot base and Romania.