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The plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen was forced to land in Bulgaria on Sunday after a total GPS failure. Bulgarian authorities suspect a Russian jamming operation directly targeting the European Commission president's aircraft. According to several European officials, the jet, approaching Plovdiv, lost all of its electronic navigation aids and had to land manually using paper maps.

The Bulgarian Air Traffic Control Authority confirmed the incident, describing it as “undeniable interference.” Brussels stated that the plane had landed without damage, while denouncing “an act of intimidation typical of Russia's hostile behavior.” Moscow, through Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, denied any responsibility.

This type of disruption, known as “jamming” or “spoofing,” involves scrambling or distorting satellite signals. Initially used for military purposes to protect sensitive sites, these techniques have become more widespread in the civilian sector since the start of the war in Ukraine. Thirteen EU member states had already alerted Brussels to the increase in such incidents, particularly in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.

Military officials confirm the trend. The head of the German armed forces, Carsten Breuer, reported that he himself had experienced two GPS jamming incidents in 2024, including one during an exercise in Lithuania in the presence of a Russian reconnaissance aircraft. According to him, Moscow is using this to “test” NATO's reactions.

Von der Leyen's flight, which departed from Warsaw, was scheduled to take her to Plovdiv to meet with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and visit an arms factory. Bulgaria, a key supplier of equipment to Ukraine, plays a central role in Europe's military support effort for Kiev. The Commission President took advantage of her trip to reaffirm the need to “stand up” to Vladimir Putin with a firm policy of deterrence.

After her visit, she left Plovdiv on the same plane, this time without incident. The Financial Times

IN SHORT

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