An aircraft carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced satellite navigation jamming over Bulgaria in what authorities suspect was a Russian interference operation, according to multiple reports. The aircraft landed safely at Plovdiv Airport on Sunday as von der Leyen continued her four-day tour of European Union nations bordering Russia and Belarus, the Associated Press reported. A European Commission spokesperson, Arianna Podestà, said the Bulgarian authorities believe the disruption was the result of “blatant interference by Russia.”
The Financial Times, citing unnamed EU officials, reported the crew resorted to paper maps for navigation after satellite signal was lost. Bulgaria’s government confirmed the incident and said air traffic control aided the flight with alternative methods using terrestrial navigation systems. The BBC noted that Bulgaria’s air traffic authority has recorded a “noticeable increase” in jamming incidents since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, echoing warnings by European regulators that such situations pose “significant challenges to aviation safety.”
Von der Leyen, a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is visiting frontline EU states to discuss defense readiness. Podestà told CBS News the incident “underlines the urgency of the mission” and that von der Leyen had seen “firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies.”
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the BBC the bloc would expand satellite deployments to better detect interference, while von der Leyen emphasized that Europe would continue to increase defense spending and support for Ukraine.
According to Flightradar there was no 1 hour delay and GPS trace was good for the entire flight
Doubtless the truth is stranger still.