Bulgaria deploys military drones to watch its Black Sea coast

Bulgaria's Defense Ministry said Monday evening it has introduced additional security measures along the country's Black Sea coast, with the army using unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor the shoreline and the adjacent airspace and waters. The ministry described the step as preventive, aimed at improving security and providing timely information about the situation in the area.

The ministry also told residents that drone flights spotted along the coast may be linked to the stepped-up surveillance. It did not say how many drones are involved, where exactly they are flying or how long the operation will last.

The move follows incidents off Bulgaria's coast in which two commercial ships were hit. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov discussed Black Sea security with his Turkish and Romanian counterparts last week.