The drone discovered on August 12 near Sozopol had been in the sea for more than a month, and the questions about the origin and purpose of the device remain without a specific answer from the Bulgarian authorities. This becomes clear from a written answer by Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov, published on the website of the National Assembly, in response to a question from Member of Parliament Yavor Bozhankov from the coalition "We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB).
The MP's question was motivated by the desire to clarify the tasks performed by the alleged Russian drone "Orlan-10", as well as the reasons for its destruction without a detailed investigation. However, the minister's response is largely limited to a lack of information and the circumstances that necessitated the destruction of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
According to information from the Naval Forces, the drone had been in the sea for at least one month before it was washed ashore.
Experts suggest that it reached the beach under the influence of winds and sea currents. Photos distributed on social networks show a heavily damaged device, devoid of key parts and recognizable markings. Its severely compromised integrity is striking, which raises questions about its condition at the moment of impact.
In the official response to the MP, Zapryanov explains that the heavily damaged structure, the lack of identification signs and markings make it impossible to determine the model and origin of the device with absolute certainty. The minister emphasizes that these circumstances do not allow the object to be classified as safe, while the possibility of additional equipment or an explosive device inside its body cannot be ruled out. This fact served as the main reason for the military's decision to destroy the drone.
Why was the drone destroyed?
The permission to destroy the object was issued by the commander of the Naval Forces formation for disaster management and/or mitigation. During the controlled explosion, observers noticed the presence of fuel or another flammable substance in the device's tank, which further confirmed its military nature. The decision to destroy it was made after an initial inspection, during which the military found that the drone was an unknown model and it was not possible to determine if it contained a warhead.
The case of the drone found near Sozopol became another reminder of the regional instability and potential threats that sea currents can bring to the shores of the Black Sea countries. Although the Russian origin of the drone has not been officially confirmed by the Bulgarian authorities, similar incidents with military objects coming from the combat zone are not unprecedented. The presence of a destroyed and heavily damaged device, regardless of its origin, raises concerns about the security of sea lanes and coastal areas. The reaction of the Bulgarian military forces to destroy the object, although motivated by security concerns, raises questions about the missed opportunities for reconnaissance and analysis of such incidents, which could have provided valuable information about the origin and purposes of such devices, as well as the state of security in the Black Sea region.