Sofia, Bulgaria – September 1, 2025 (Horncurrent.com) – The European Commission confirmed on Sunday that the plane carrying its president, Ursula von der Leyen, experienced a disruption of its navigation system believed to be caused by Russian interference.
According to an EU spokesperson, the incident occurred as von der Leyen was about to arrive in Bulgaria. Despite the suspected “GPS jamming,” the aircraft landed safely.
“We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this was due to blatant interference by Russia,” the spokesperson stated.
The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that von der Leyen’s crew had to rely on traditional paper maps to guide the landing at Plovdiv Airport.
The incident underscores growing concerns in Europe about Russia’s use of electronic warfare tactics to disrupt air traffic in the region. Analysts note that GPS jamming has increasingly been reported near NATO’s eastern flank, affecting both civilian and military flights.
So far, the Kremlin has not issued a response regarding the alleged interference.
Von der Leyen was traveling to Bulgaria as part of her official visit to reinforce EU commitments on security and regional cooperation.
source: BBC
