EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen's flight hit by suspected Russian GPS jamming

EU chief's flight lost navigation signals near Bulgaria's Plovdiv airport, highlighting rising GPS jamming across Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A suspected Russian attack forced European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane to land manually using paper maps after circling for almost an hour, the Financial Times reported.

 

According to the report, the attack disabled the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation systems at Bulgaria’s Plovdiv airport on Sunday, August 31. The incident occurred as von der Leyen travelled from Warsaw to Bulgaria to meet Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and tour an ammunition factory, part of her tour of EU frontline states to boost defence readiness. 

 

Von der Leyen later left Plovdiv on the same plane without any other incident.

Disruptions raise fear of air disasters

According to the Financial Times, officials called the blackout “undeniable interference", and Bulgarian air traffic authorities confirmed it, noting a rise in GPS jamming across Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

 

Such disruptions, traditionally military tactics, are increasingly affecting civilian aircraft, ships, and daily navigation, raising fears of a potential air disaster, the report said.

Putin a 'predator': EU chief

Von der Leyen had previously called Vladimir Putin “a predator” who can only be deterred through strength. Bulgaria, a key supplier of arms to Ukraine, has shifted from Soviet-era weapons to new artillery and defence products.