site.btaPM Zhelyazkov Accuses Opposition of Distorting Von der Leyen Flight Incident

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said on Thursday that distorted interpretations of the incident involving European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s flight sought to undermine Bulgarian institutions. Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov also attended the briefing at the Council of Ministers.

Zhelyazkov described the parliamentary hearing held earlier that day as part of a broader hybrid information attack by opposition parties against the government. He said facts and circumstances surrounding von der Leyen’s flight had been framed to damage public trust in national institutions.

He outlined the situation: during the aircraft’s approach with von der Leyen on board, the GPS signal was lost, and pilots reported this to the Bulgarian air traffic service. An instrument landing using the ILS system was proposed and the aircraft landed safely at Plovdiv Airport.

Zhelyazkov noted that he learned of the issue immediately after the delegation disembarked and instructed both the air traffic authority and the Directorate General for Civil Aviation Administration to investigate. He said that on the same day he was told no jamming had been detected by ground-based equipment, but this did not rule out a problem with the on-board devices. He further tasked aviation authorities to consult the airline for additional checks on the aircraft’s instruments and computers.

The Prime Minister attributed the interference to Russian operations in the radio-frequency spectrum, specifically satellite jamming from systems based in Crimea, conducted as part of electronic warfare with Ukraine. He said such disruptions were affecting countries from Finland to Libya and contributed to the difficulties faced by von der Leyen’s visit, along with protests by pro-Russian parties and other efforts meant to fracture the coalition of the willing supporting Ukraine.

“We are experiencing interference in this case. I made it clear today that this interference is the result of radiofrequency disruptions caused by satellite jamming systems located over Crimea. This is one of the methods the Russian Federation uses to conduct electronic warfare against Ukraine. Consequently, many countries are affected, from Finland to Libya. This was one of the factors used to discourage Ursula von der Leyen’s visit and is further supported by actions such as demonstrations by pro-Russian parties and other tactics. These efforts are intended to undermine the unity of the coalition of European states, also known as the coalition of the willing, in their support for Ukraine,” Zhelyazkov said.

"We are disappointed that at this critical moment our geopolitical partners, Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria, have chosen to attack Bulgarian institutions instead of supporting the government's efforts to adequately manage this incident," he added.

He added that Bulgarian institutions had done what was necessary to ensure the safety of von der Leyen’s flight and stressed the need for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s aircraft lost GPS signal on approach to Plovdiv on August 31, 2025, and landed safely. On Monday, Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Arianna Podesta said the Commission had been informed by Bulgarian authorities that they suspected “blatant interference by Russia” and added: “We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria,” Podesta said. On Thursday, Podesta noted that the Commission had never claimed the GPS jamming “involved targeted actions” and urged EU-level measures against rising jamming near the eastern border.

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told MPs on Thursday that monitoring showed no interference around Plovdiv and a delay of about five minutes, within limits. Speaking to journalists about the incident, Zhelyazkov said: “Such events occur on a daily basis, and aircraft have been taking off and landing long before GPS systems existed.”

Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov said there was no recorded jamming, though the pilot mentioned “some problems with the GPS,” and that “there is not a single fact supporting such a claim,” Karadjov said.

Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said the disruption was not a cyberattack: “We can state unequivocally that this is not the case,” Mitov said.

Vice President Iliana Iotova said the episode dealt “a serious blow” to Bulgaria’s image.