Ukraine denies sending drone into Bulgarian airspace after Bulgarian MFA summons ambassador

Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria Olesya Ilashchuk has said that Ukraine's Defense Forces did not send any drones to Bulgaria or any other country, Report informs via Ukrainian media.

Ilashchuk made the remarks after being summoned to Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry over an incident involving a drone that entered Bulgarian airspace near Kardam on August 8.

According to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova expressed serious concern during the meeting and stressed that any unauthorized entry into Bulgaria's airspace is unacceptable.

"Preliminary analysis indicates that this was most likely a Maya decoy drone used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the ministry said.

The Bulgarian side asked Ukraine to provide all available information that could help fully clarify the circumstances of the incident. Petrova said it was extremely important for Bulgaria to take the necessary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future and stressed the need for direct and effective communication channels between the competent authorities of the two countries.

Ilashchuk said the Ukrainian side was fully ready to cooperate in the investigation, adding that the main cause of the incident was the ongoing war.

The ambassador also noted that Russia is increasingly shelling civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, which also poses a direct threat to neighboring countries. She stressed that ending the war as soon as possible is critically important for ensuring security in the region.

Ilashchuk said Ukraine expects the international community to intensify efforts to force the Kremlin to make peace.

An agreement was reached to continue close coordination in investigating the causes of the incident.

Bulgaria is also in contact with Romania over the drone's entry into its airspace. Petrova informed the foreign ministers of EU member states about the incident and the measures taken by Bulgaria. An exchange of the latest information on the matter among NATO allies is also expected on Wednesday.