Bulgaria, Germany drone incidents raise security fears amid Ukraine war

A drone has exploded in Bulgaria near the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, the latest in a surge of unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles flying into European territory as regional tensions escalate due to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said: "The drone exploded in the immediate vicinity of the Kardam border crossing with Romania."

Radev said: "There were no casualties."

Radev said it was not a "hobby drone" but a larger aircraft carrying a "significant amount of explosives."

Bulgaria's Defence Ministry said initial analysis suggested the aircraft was "most likely a Maya decoy drone" used by Ukrainian forces, and saw no reason to suspect the incident was intentional.

Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi said: "We are in close contact with the Bulgarian side to clarify the circumstances." Ukrainian forces "did not intentionally direct any assets toward Bulgaria."

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Moscow's "reckless behaviour is a danger to us all."

US ambassador Matthew Whitaker said the alliance will "defend every inch" of its territory.

The European Commission said the war had "crossed yet another line."

The Russian embassy in Berlin called the Leipzig discovery a "fabricated provocation."

A drone was found Tuesday at Leipzig/Halle airport near Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo transporters; two drones were spotted around 10pm Thursday at a Bundeswehr base in Mechernich, North Rhine-Westphalia, 35km from the Belgian border.

Officials have not publicly blamed any country; some German politicians accused Russia.