European Commission Accuses Russia of GPS Jamming on President's Plane Over Bulgaria

The incident occurred during von der Leyen’s four-day tour of European Union (EU) nations bordering Russia and Belarus, including Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Romania.

EUROPE — On Sunday, August 31, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced jamming of its Global Positioning System (GPS) while flying over Bulgaria, with officials suspecting Russian interference.

Map of Russia and Bulgaria. Credit: Russavia, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia

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The aircraft, a chartered jet, landed safely at Plovdiv airport using alternative navigation methods after circling for approximately one hour. Bulgarian authorities reported that the satellite signal transmitting information to the plane’s GPS navigation system was neutralized.

The incident occurred during von der Leyen’s four-day tour of European Union (EU) nations bordering Russia and Belarus, including Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Romania.