Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The drone that flew over Sofia Airport is of a military type and is used for espionage and surveillance

Border Police Director Anton Zlatanov
Photo: BTA-archive

The mysterious drone that made random maneuvers at Sofia Airport on February 7 and delayed six flights was hacked, manipulated, and was definitely not random. Large drones like the one used are military-type and are used for espionage and surveillance, Border Police Director Anton Zlatanov told public broadcaster BNT.

''A drone sold by a licensed company will not be able to fly over the airport because the area is restricted. This indicates that the drone was manipulated and that this was a deliberate action'', Anton Zlatanov said further.

The drone was apparently hacked, said Todor Ivandjikov, President of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry Association. ''In most drones, the software is programmed to include the airport as a restricted zone. This drone was apparently hacked or specially assembled, with its software allowing it to pass anywhere'', the expert commented.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

EPPO opens investigation into €4.5 million fraud of EU funds in Vratsa

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Sofia has filed an indictment with the Sofia District Court against the manager and owner of a company suspected of fraud in a public procurement procedure to the tune of €4.5 million (BGN 8 838 308)...

published on 2/11/25 2:08 PM
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov (L) and US Vice President J.D. Vance in Paris, 11 February 2025.

PM Zhelyazkov meets VEEP Vance in Paris

Deepening the strategic partnership between the United States and Bulgaria should be a top priority for bilateral cooperation between our new administrations, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told US Vice President J.D. Vance, with whom he had a brief..

published on 2/11/25 1:36 PM
Laura Lochman and Zhecho Stankov, 11 February, 2025

Bulgaria and US set to deepen cooperation in energy

Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov met, in Washington, with Laura Lochman, US Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Energy Resources. The two discussed the construction of a vertical gas corridor for diverse and sustainable gas..

published on 2/11/25 11:18 AM