The European Commission has confirmed that the plane carrying President Ursula von der Leyen was hit by suspected Russian GPS jamming as it attempted to land in Bulgaria. The pilot of the chartered flight was reportedly forced to use analog maps to land the plane safely at Plovdiv Airport.
“We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria,” said Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta. “We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.”
The incident occurred as President von der Leyen was on a tour of EU member states on the front lines of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Podesta noted that while it’s unclear if the plane was the specific target, such threats are a “regular component of Russia’s hostile behavior.”
Increased Threats and Definitions
The Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority confirmed a “notable increase” in GPS jamming and spoofing since February 2022. Jamming is the deliberate disruption of radio signals that provide an aircraft’s location, altitude, and arrival time. Spoofing is a more malicious form of electronic warfare where false GPS signals are sent to make an aircraft appear to be in a different location than it actually is.
According to an internal EU memo to member states, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) interference has “drastically” increased in the Baltic Sea region since 2022. The memo describes these incidents as “not random incidents but a systematic, deliberate action by Russia and Belarus,” which it characterizes as a “hybrid attack on strategic radio spectrum.” This interference is a “growing safety and security concern” that requires “immediate coordinated action.”
In June, transport ministers from 13 member states—including Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, and Finland—signed a joint letter urging the European Commission to take “immediate and coordinated” action in response to the alleged Russian jamming.
