Bulgarian Navy destroys drone found floating east of Ahtopol
A Bulgarian Navy team of divers destroyed on July 21 a drone that had been spotted floating 21 miles east of the town of Ahtopol, the Defence Ministry said.
The drone was spotted Naval Mine Countermeasures Group vessels had departed from the port of Bourgas.
The commander of the tactical group ordered the Turkish Navy mine hunter Akcay to inspect the object. The ship’s diving team identified it as a drifting unmanned aerial vehicle with a broken wing.
No ammunition attached to its hull was found during the underwater inspection.
Not ruling out the possibility that explosrivesd were inside the hull, the group commander decided to secure the area.
He ordered the other ships in the group – the Bulgarian Navy minehunter Struma and the Romanian Navy minehunter Dumitrescu – to patrol and divert passing ships.
A warning message has also been broadcast to ships in the area.
After receiving a report at the coastal headquarters, the commander of the Naval Mine Countermeasures Group in the Black Sea, Captain Petar Dimitrov, gave permission to destroy the object
The successful completion of the assigned tasks in a real situation is due to the excellent training of the crews of the group, which, after its activation, carried out its combat assembly during the Bulgarian naval exercise Breeze, the Defence Ministry said.
The ships of the Naval Mine Countermeasures Group in the Black Sea continue to carry out joint operations at sea.
During the voyages, continuous surveillance is conducted for objects dangerous to shipping. After its activation on July 10, the group is under Bulgarian command for the second time since its establishment, the ministry said.
(Photos: Defence Ministry)
