EU chief Von der Leyen’s plane hit by Russian GPS jamming

Lailuma Sadid

Credit: indaugas Kulbis/AP

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed that President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was allegedly targeted by GPS jamming while attempting to land in Bulgaria on Sunday, CNN reported.

Arianna Podesta, deputy chief spokesperson for the European Commission, said,

“We can confirm there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safe.”

What happened to Von der Leyen’s plane in Bulgaria?

According to a Financial Times report, suspected GPS jamming at Plovdiv’s city airport caused von der Leyen’s jet to circle for an hour. Unnamed officials stated that the pilot eventually had to use paper maps for landing instead of electronic navigation.

The commission received

“information from Bulgarian authorities that they suspect Russia carried out this blatant interference,”

The spokesperson said.

“This will further reinforce our unshakable commitment to ramp up our defence capabilities and support for Ukraine,”

The spokesperson also said.

EU chief’s visit to Bulgaria was part of her broader tour of EU countries bordering Russia, Belarus, and the Black Sea. The president visited Latvia and Finland on Friday, then Estonia on Saturday, followed by Poland and Bulgaria on Sunday, and wrapped up the trip on Monday with visits to Lithuania and Romania.

Shortly after the plane incident in Bulgaria’s capital and before it became public, von der Leyen stated that Europe must maintain a sense of urgency.

“(Russian President Vladimir) 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.

How often has Russia been accused of GPS jamming?

According to reports, GPS interference, which disrupts flights and maritime traffic, has historically been a part of Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics.

Authorities in Scandinavian and Baltic states have repeatedly stated that Russia regularly jams GPS signals in the region. After a six-month study starting in June 2024 by researchers in Poland and Germany, they confirmed that Russia is responsible. Moscow is allegedly using a covert fleet of ships and its Kaliningrad exclave to carry out these jamming activities.

GPS disruptions were first logged in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, in December 2024, when Bulgaria and Romania formally joined the Schengen visa-free zone. The disruptions interfered with local aviation and may have contributed to political turmoil. Although the interference came from inside Bulgaria, Russian spies were suspected of being involved.

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Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
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Lailuma Sadid is a former diplomat in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Embassy to the kingdom of Belgium, in charge of NATO. She attended the NATO Training courses and speakers for the events at NATO H-Q in Brussels, and also in Nederland, Germany, Estonia, and Azerbaijan. Sadid has is a former Political Reporter for Pajhwok News Agency, covering the London, Conference in 2006 and Lisbon summit in 2010.
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