Bulgaria has received two counter-drone systems from US defence technology company Axon and expects two more soon, the Defence Ministry said on August 17, the ministry announced on its Facebook page, as a recent drone incursion highlights gaps in the country's air defence capabilities.

The systems have yet to be integrated and operational, the Defence Ministry said. Bulgaria aims to acquire around 10 counter-drone systems, with a stated operational range of three to five kilometres.

The need to strengthen drone detection became more urgent after an unmanned aircraft entered Bulgarian airspace near the Romanian border on August 8 before exploding near the town of General Toshevo. Bulgaria said the drone crossed about 100 metres into its territory from Romania, while Romania said its radar systems did not detect an aircraft crossing into Bulgaria.

Bulgaria plans to finance additional counter-drone capabilities through the European Union's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism, under which Sofia has sought funding for nine defence modernisation projects. Parliament ratified Bulgaria's SAFE loan agreement in late July, with funded projects to be completed by the end of 2030.

The Defence Ministry said the two additional systems expected soon would be financed from the national budget. No official information has been released on the cost of the equipment.

The drone incident has renewed scrutiny of Bulgaria's air surveillance and defence capabilities as the widespread use of low-cost unmanned aircraft creates a growing security challenge across Europe.

Bulgaria has reported several drone-related incidents this year, including a temporary closure of Sofia airport airspace in March after a drone was detected, and the destruction of a drifting unmanned aircraft off the Black Sea coast in July.