Bulgaria investigates incident with von der Leyen's plane, rejects cyberattack

Sofia, Bulgaria — The Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an immediate investigation into an incident involving the plane of European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. On the live broadcast of the show "The Interview" on BNT, Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov revealed details about the actions taken and directed public attention to the broader context of hybrid threats in the region.

The Investigation: Cyberattack Hypothesis Rejected

According to Minister Mitov, the ministry was notified of the issue immediately. The main task assigned to the General Directorate for "Combating Organized Crime" (GDBOP) and its cybercrime department was to determine whether it was a deliberate cyberattack. Despite the seriousness of the situation and the potential for digital interference, a quick analysis by experts led to a definitive conclusion.

"We can say with certainty that this is not the case; it is not a cyberattack. From now on, we will assist the other institutions tasked with carrying out the operational actions to investigate this problem and arrive at the truth as it is," the minister explained, emphasizing that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue to provide full cooperation to the competent authorities.

The War in Ukraine and GPS Signal Jamming

The minister's comments took on a broader perspective when he criticized Russia's official position on the incident. Mitov pointed out that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022, there has been a constant trend of GPS systems being jammed in regions close to the conflict. These disruptions, although concerning, have become a routine part of the operations of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

"The European Union Aviation Safety Agency even has a protocol on this matter; when such jamming occurs, there is an instrumental landing system that allows for the landing to be performed safely and in accordance with the given protocols. It could be exactly that," he clarified.

Bulgaria's Position Against Russian Claims

The Minister of Internal Affairs did not hold back his criticism of Moscow's official position, which denied any involvement in the incident. In direct contrast to this denial, Mitov recalled previous cases in which Russian officials had spread false information.

"Moscow denied that there were Russian troops in Crimea. So, what the Russian Federation says has absolutely no meaning. We are already used to the fact that we cannot get reliable information from there. We must check what exactly is happening ourselves," stated Mitov, expressing deep distrust of official Russian statements. His statement reflects the growing sobriety in the assessments of Western capitals, which have long learned to be skeptical of Kremlin narratives.

Combating Hybrid Threats: New Task Force Modeled After the FBI

The minister used the occasion to draw attention to the broader problem of hybrid attacks that Europe and the West have been subjected to for years. To address these challenges, the Bulgarian government has announced the creation of a new, specialized task force, structured after the FBI's "Task Force" model.

Initially, this group will focus on combating money laundering — a key task aimed at getting Bulgaria out of the "gray list" it fell into during "4 years of stagnation."

"This way, we can also talk with our international partners about creating a specialized task force to combat hybrid threats. But that, of course, will be a much tougher task, because the definition of hybrid threats is very broad," Mitov admitted. He emphasized that the scope of these threats is wide and includes both the "instrumentalization of migration flows," as well as "disinformation," and "cyber threats."

Despite the complex nature of the task, Bulgaria is firmly determined to create such a unit in cooperation with its international partners to refine the focus of its future actions. The new structure will combine the efforts of key institutions such as:

• customs
• the National Revenue Agency (NRA)
• the State Agency for "National Security" (DANS)
• the prosecution office
• the two main directorates of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – GDNP and GDBOP