Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister holds talks with Ukrainian ambassador over drone incident
Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova held a meeting on August 10 at the ministry with the Ukraine’s ambassador to Bulgaria regarding the entry of a drone into Bulgarian airspace in the Kardam region, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Initial analysis indicates that it is most likely a Maya decoy drone used by the Ukrainian armed forces,” the ministry said, referring to the August 8 incident.
The Foreign Ministry said that in the talks, Petrova expressed the serious concern of the Bulgarian side and emphasised that any unauthorised entry into Bulgaria’s airspace is unacceptable.
Bulgaria requested that Ukraine provides all available information that could contribute to the full clarification of the circumstances of the case, the statement said.
Petrova said that it is essential for Bulgaria to take the necessary measures to prevent similar cases in the future. The need for direct and effective channels of communication between the competent institutions of the two countries was emphasised, the statement said.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry statement, while wholly omitting the name of ambassaodor Olesya Ilashchuk, quoted her as expressing deep concern about what had happened and emphasising that Ukraine had not intentionally directed drones towards Bulgaria. She confirmed the readiness of the Ukrainian side to provide full cooperation in clarifying all the circumstances of the case.
In connection with the entry of the drone, Bulgaria is also in contact with Romania, the statement said.
It said that Petrova had also informed the foreign ministers of the European Union member states about the incident and the actions taken by Bulgaria. An exchange of the latest information on the topic between Nato allies is also expected on Wednesday, the statement said.
“Bulgaria will continue to consistently defend its sovereignty and the security of its citizens,” the Foreign Ministry said.
“Our country also remains consistent in its position that the cessation of hostilities and the achievement of a just and sustainable peace through diplomatic efforts are of key importance for security and stability in the region.”
The embassy of Ukraine had its own statement on the meeting, which included comments by Ilashchuk about Russia that were not reflected in the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry statement.
The embassy statement quoted the ambassador as giving an assurance that the Ukrainian defence forces did not direct drones towards Bulgaria or towards any partner country.
Ilashchuk said that Ukraine is fully open to cooperation in conducting an investigation.
She said that the main cause of the incident is Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Russia is increasingly fiercely shelling the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, which is also a direct threat to neighbouring countries, the embassy statement quoted the ambassador as saying.
The earliest possible cessation of the war is of critical importance for ensuring security in the region, Ilashchuk said.
Ukraine is counting on the strengthening of the efforts of the international community in order to force the Kremlin to make peace, the ambassador said.
It was agreed to continue close coordination within the framework of the investigation into the causes of the incident, the Ukrainian embassy said.
In recent months, there have been several incidents of drones or parts of them being found or spotted in various places along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. These have been either destroyed or removed by Navy specialists, according to a succession of Ministry of Defence statements. No Ministry of Defence statement has identified from which country those drones came, and the August 8 incident is the first to be followed by an ambassador being summoned.
(Photo: Foreign Ministry)
