EUROPE / FOREIGN DRONE EVENTS

Recovery · Bulgaria

Part-submerged drone towed to Varna from sea off Cape Galata, Bulgaria

· Northeast of Cape Galata

Coastal aerial-drone recovery; individual origin unresolved

On 26 August 2026 a part-submerged aerial drone (UAV) was found in the sea 2.6 nautical miles northeast of Cape Galata, Bulgaria. Its engine and nose were under water, with the tail visible.

No explosive material was found. The drone was towed to Varna Naval Base and lifted out of the water.

No operator has been identified, and the release reporting it gave no final identification. Associations with Russian or Ukrainian drones made for the wider group of finds do not identify this one. When the drone came down and the route it flew are unknown. No casualties were reported.

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Image from the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) / Defence Ministry report: Four coastal recovery missions, 26 August 2026, afternoon release
Image · Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) / Defence Ministry · Open report ↗

Attribution and uncertainty

Origin / operator / attribution
Individual origin unresolved; cohort-level Russian/Ukrainian associations do not identify this object.
Investigation / uncertainty
No final individual operator identification in collected release.

Sources · 1

  1. Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) / Defence Ministry ↗Four coastal recovery missions, 26 August 2026, afternoon release

Full record

Recovery

Map positions are approximate anchors for the named place, not verified incident coordinates.

Reported date
2026-08-26
Date basis
Discovery/response date unless described as report date; EEST
Location / jurisdiction
2.6 nautical miles northeast of Cape Galata
Event categories
Coastal/sea discovery; identification; recovery or disposal
What was reported
Engine/nose underwater; tail visible.
Aircraft / vessel / quantity
Part-submerged aerial UAV
Origin / operator / attribution
Individual origin unresolved; cohort-level Russian/Ukrainian associations do not identify this object.
Damage / casualties / disruption
No casualties reported in cited account
Response / outcome
Towed to Varna Naval Base and lifted from water.
Investigation / uncertainty
No final individual operator identification in collected release.
Route / entry mechanism
Found at sea/on shore; original flight route and crash date unknown
Explosive payload
No explosive material found
Counting / links
Separate recovery site; an additional unique airframe is not established.
Research provenance
Added during export source checks; absent from the visible chronological report

Record E075. Record fields keep the register’s original wording.