Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security (DANS) announced that it located and neutralized a high-powered GPS jamming device in the capital city of Sofia on August 21, 2026. The joint operation was executed alongside the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) and the Sofia Directorate of the Interior after widespread interference affected satellite navigation frequencies across the metropolitan area, including operations at Sofia Airport .
According to an official statement issued by DANS, the jamming equipment was discovered within a heavily guarded complex situated in Sofia’s Dragalevtsi district. Authorities confirmed that the device suppressed GPS frequencies utilized by Sofia Airport , aircraft overflying the Bulgarian capital, and local television broadcast towers. The agency did not release details regarding the technical specifications, ownership, or operators of the device, and no arrests were immediately announced.
Bulgarian Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev stated on August 21, 2026, that the electronic interference was detected immediately by air traffic controllers. While satellite-based navigation was compromised and impacted flight management procedures, safety standards were maintained. Affected flights transitioned from satellite positioning to Bulgaria’s network of conventional ground-based terrestrial navigation aids to maintain normal course guidance.
The press office of Sofia Airport confirmed on August 21, 2026, that flight operations remained unaffected and scheduled services operated on time. Commercial pilot Aleksandar Bogoyavlenski noted that arriving and departing flights had experienced GPS signal loss over Sofia for at least three consecutive days prior to the device being neutralized, but emphasized that switching to ground-based navigation prevented flight delays or safety hazards.
