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

Mountain Rescue Service warns that hikes should be done with the necessary equipment

The weather in the mountains is cloudy with moderate wind in the higher parts. According to information from the Bulgarian Mountain Rescue Service website, the conditions for winter sports and hiking in the mountains are not very..

published on 2/13/25 1:03 PM

Caritas project provides Bulgarian language training for 1,300 refugees

1,300 refugees in Bulgaria will be trained under the Caritas project "Bulgarian language for people from all over the world". In an interview with BNR, the project's coordinator, Maria Teoharova, pointed out that the project is aimed at refugees who..

published on 2/13/25 11:49 AM

Markup on dairy products in Bulgaria exceeds 100%

The Bulgarian  Industrial Capital  Association and the Bulgarian Association of Dairy Processors have raised concerns that the prices of basic food products in Bulgaria are higher than in Austria and Germany, where the standard of living is..

published on 2/13/25 10:40 AM