The Bulgarian Navy carried out a series of reconnaissance and drone neutralization operations over several days, targeting unmanned aerial vehicles detected in the waters of the Black Sea and on the coast near Varna. This was reported by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense, as relayed by RBC-Ukraine. According to the ministry, some of the drones were destroyed on the spot by detonation, while others—after identification—were transported to the naval base for further examination. The incidents occurred at several locations: Kabakum Beach, the waters off Pomorie, the Pasha Dere area, and the Kamchiya resort.

Drone at Kabakum Beach: Reconnaissance Without Explosives

A specialized team from the Varna Naval Base was tasked with conducting reconnaissance and identification of a drone washed ashore by ocean currents in the Kabakum area near Varna. The servicemen inspected the device and determined that no explosives were present on it. The drone was then transported to the naval base for further analysis. In the published photo by the BTA agency (photo by Rumen Sarandev), the wreckage of the device is visible, with its characteristic black-and-white color scheme and the yellow marking "030132599" on a wing fragment lying on the sand.

Destroying Objects in the Waters: Pomorie and Pasha Dere

In parallel, another Navy team received the task of reconnoitering an object in the Black Sea waters near the city of Pomorie. The military identified it as a drone and destroyed it on the spot, strictly observing safety measures. Another mission was carried out by personnel of the Varna Base in the Pasha Dere area south of Varna: the object detected in the water was likewise reconnoitered and detonated at sea. Thus, of the several devices detected, some were neutralized directly in the water, while others were seized for further study at the base.

Military Drone Wing near Kamchiya

Shortly before the aforementioned finds, a specialized team from the Varna Base was tasked with reconnoitering a drone spotted in the Black Sea waters in the Kamchiya resort area. After inspection, the military determined that it was a wing of a military drone washed out of the sea, containing no munitions. The object was deemed non-threatening and transported to the naval base. Based on the totality of features—the shape of the wreckage, the presence of a propeller, and the markings—the device belongs to the class of manned or unmanned aircraft with propeller thrust.

Context: The July Incident and Diplomatic Resonance

The current series of finds is occurring against a backdrop of rising tension in the Black Sea region. At the end of July, the Bulgarian Navy retrieved from the Black Sea off its coast a drone that visually resembled the Russian Gerber drone, although its origin was not officially confirmed. In addition, on August 8, 2026, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in connection with a drone explosion, indicating diplomatic tension between Sofia and Kyiv. The totality of these events underscores that the Black Sea remains a zone of heightened activity and mutual suspicion among the coastal states.

Contradictory Data

Open sources contain inconsistencies in the interpretation of the origin of the detected devices. On the one hand, the July drone was visually associated with the Russian Gerber model, but no party claimed responsibility for its launch. On the other hand, the diplomatic incident of August 8, when Sofia summoned the Ukrainian ambassador, indirectly indicated that the Bulgarian side linked at least some of the incidents with the Ukrainian side. Meanwhile, the official statement by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense on the current series of finds (August 26) does not specify the origin of the specific devices. Thus, the question of who is the source of the drones remains officially unresolved, and the public narratives of the various parties diverge.