A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faced GPS signal jamming while attempting to land in Bulgaria on Sunday. The development was confirmed by a commission spokesperson, reported CNN.
Bulgarian authorities suspect Russia was behind the interference, which officials described as a deliberate act. Despite the disruption, the plane landed safely. According to a source familiar with the incident, pilots were forced to rely on paper maps to complete the landing.
Von der Leyen has been one of Europe’s most outspoken backers of Ukraine, consistently urging member states to boost military and financial support as Kyiv resists Russia’s full-scale invasion. Just last week, she joined other world leaders at US President Donald Trump’s Ukraine summit, underscoring the EU’s ongoing commitment to stand with Kyiv.
The incident occurred during her tour of frontline EU states bordering Russia, Belarus, and the Black Sea—an effort aimed at rallying support and demonstrating European unity. “This incident underlines the urgency of the President’s current trip, where she has witnessed first-hand the daily threats from Russia and its proxies,” the spokesperson said.
GPS jamming is not new. Scandinavian and Baltic authorities have long accused Moscow of using electronic interference as part of its hybrid warfare tactics, targeting both aviation and maritime traffic. A recent six-month study by researchers in Poland and Germany concluded that Russia was responsible for widespread GPS disruptions, using its exclave of Kaliningrad and a network of shadow vessels to carry them out.
The EU has already sanctioned Russian state-linked entities and individuals tied to such operations. Sunday’s episode, officials warned, is yet another reminder of the risks European leaders face while travelling through the region. “This will further reinforce our unshakable commitment to strengthen Europe’s defences and continue our support for Ukraine,” the commission spokesperson added.
Von der Leyen’s itinerary over the weekend took her to Latvia and Finland on Friday, Estonia on Saturday, and Poland and Bulgaria on Sunday. She was scheduled to conclude the tour on Monday with visits to Lithuania and Romania.
Speaking in Sofia shortly before news of the jamming became public, von der Leyen urged Europe not to lose momentum. “Putin has not changed, and he will not change. He is a predator. He can only be kept in check through strong deterrence,” she said.
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