Bulgaria summoned Ukraine's ambassador over drone blast near gas pipeline

Bulgaria summoned Ukraine's ambassador over a drone incident on August 8, with a meeting scheduled for Monday, August 10, as the diplomat is currently abroad. President Iliana Yotova demanded a thorough investigation into the drone's origin and circumstances. The drone exploded near the strategic gas pipeline at Kardam, and Bulgaria's Chief of Defense is in contact with Ukrainian and Romanian partners. Yotova stressed the need to determine exactly what type of drone was involved, noting the Defense Ministry suggested it could be a Ukrainian decoy drone. Yotova called for strengthening Bulgaria's anti-drone capabilities and supporting domestic drone manufacturers. She also urged increased international diplomatic pressure to prevent Black Sea escalation, stating the Russia-Ukraine conflict has no military solution and similar incidents have occurred in other NATO eastern flank countries.