In brief
Ursula von der Leyen's plane was subjected to suspected GPS jamming linked to Russian interference during her arrival in Bulgaria, leading the pilots to rely on paper maps for an emergency landing. The incident reflects ongoing threats to aviation safety amidst rising tensions between Russia and the EU, with Bulgarian authorities confirming the disruption.
The navigation system of a plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted due to suspected Russian interference, the European Commission said.
A spokesperson stated the GPS jamming occurred just before her arrival in Bulgaria on Sunday, although she landed safely.
Authorities in Bulgaria suspect this was a deliberate act by Russia. Reports indicate that the pilots utilized paper maps during the landing at Plovdiv Airport due to the disrupted navigation.
The European Commission emphasized that threats and intimidation are part of Russia's hostile tactics and pledged to enhance their defense capabilities and support for Ukraine in response.
The Bulgarian government confirmed that the plane's GPS signal was neutralized during the flight. To secure the flight's safety, air control services offered alternative landing methods using terrestrial navigation tools.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed these claims as incorrect. However, Bulgaria's Air Traffic Services noted a significant uptick in GPS jamming incidents since January 2022.
Experts have raised concerns over Russia's disruption of satellite navigation systems, affecting numerous civilian flights. Cyrille Rosay, a senior expert from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, highlighted the escalating frequency of such incidents since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow has consistently denied any involvement in scrambling navigation systems, even as von der Leyen visited Bulgaria to assess defense readiness amidst the ongoing regional tensions.
