EU chief's plane hit by suspected Russian GPS jamming
What's the story
A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was reportedly jammed with GPS signals over Bulgaria. "We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria," Arianna Podesta, a spokesperson for the European Union (EU), said. According to the commission spokeswoman, Bulgarian authorities have informed the EU that "they suspect this blatant interference was carried out by Russia."
Official statement
GPS signal lost as plane approached Plovdiv Airport
"We are well aware that threats and intimidation are a regular component of Russia's hostile actions," the spokeswoman said, adding, "And, of course, the EU will continue to invest into defense spending and in Europe's readiness even more after this incident." Bulgaria's government said that "the satellite signal used for the aircraft's GPS navigation was disrupted." As the plane approached Plovdiv Airport, it lost its GPS signal.
Ongoing tour
Von der Leyen's visit to Bulgaria
The Financial Times reported that due to this malfunction, the aircraft had to circle for about an hour longer than planned. The pilot eventually opted for a manual landing in Plovdiv using analog maps. Von der Leyen arrived in Bulgaria on Sunday and held talks with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov on European security and defense issues. Despite the GPS jamming incident, she will continue her planned tour of EU nations bordering Russia and Belarus.
Defense investment
EU to continue investing in defense spending, combat readiness
Podesta emphasized that this incident highlights the urgent mission von der Leyen is undertaking in front-line member states, given her strong criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's actions in Ukraine. This comes after Scandinavian and Baltic states have repeatedly accused Russia of jamming GPS signals in their regions. A study by researchers from Poland and Germany found that Russia is using a shadow fleet of ships and its Kaliningrad exclave for these jamming operations.