European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane suffered a navigation disruption while approaching southern Bulgaria on Sunday, in what EU officials suspect was a case of Russian GPS jamming.
A Commission spokesperson confirmed that while von der Leyen’s aircraft landed safely at Plovdiv Airport, the navigation system had been neutralised mid-flight, forcing pilots to rely on paper maps and terrestrial tools.
“We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this was due to blatant interference by Russia,” the spokesperson said.
The Financial Times reported that pilots reverted to manual methods after the satellite signal transmitting GPS data was blocked.
Brussels condemned the incident, warning it was part of Moscow’s pattern of threats and intimidation. The EU’s Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the bloc would respond by deploying additional satellites to strengthen detection of GPS interference and bolster defence capabilities.
Bulgaria’s government confirmed the satellite signal was “neutralised” during the flight, while local air control services quickly offered alternative navigation methods to ensure safety.
Russia’s Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied the claim, calling the information “incorrect.”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, aviation authorities across Europe have reported tens of thousands of GPS jamming incidents, particularly around the Baltic region and Kaliningrad. In 2024, even an RAF plane carrying then-UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was hit by a spoofing attack near Russian airspace.
Analysts warn that such interference, once rare, has now become a “constant feature” of flying near Russia, increasing risks to aviation safety.
Von der Leyen was visiting Bulgaria as part of her tour of eastern EU states to discuss defence readiness. A Commission spokesperson noted she had “seen first-hand the everyday threats from Russia and its proxies.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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