The plane landed safely in Plovdiv airport, and von der Leyen will continue her planned tour of the European Union’s nations bordering Russia and Belarus, said the commission’s spokesperson Arianna Podesta.
A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced GPS jamming while flying over Bulgaria in what officials suspect was a Russian operation, the European Commission confirmed on Monday.
Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta said the disruption occurred during von der Leyenโs tour of European Union member states bordering Russia and Belarus. โWe can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming. We have received information from the Bulgarian authority that they suspect this was due to blatant interference by Russia,โ Podesta told reporters.
The aircraft landed safely at Plovdiv airport in Bulgaria, and von der Leyen is continuing her four-day tour as planned. โThis incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states,โ Podesta added, stressing that the EU remains committed to strengthening defence and readiness.
Von der Leyen, a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscowโs war in Ukraine, has been at the forefront of rallying EU support for Kyiv since Russiaโs invasion in 2022. She recently spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging Putin to โcome to the tableโ and calling for a permanent peace in Ukraine backed by security guarantees.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions. Just days earlier, Russia launched a massive assault on Kyiv, firing 31 missiles and deploying around 600 drones. Ukrainian authorities reported at least 21 deaths and more than 50 injuries in the strikes. The attacks intensified calls within the EU for increased military support to Ukraine and stronger defensive measures against hybrid threats such as cyber and electronic warfare.
Bulgaria’s transport ministry confirmed that the satellite signal used for aircraft navigation had been disrupted during von der Leyen’s flight. The country is investigating the source of the jamming. The timing of the GPS jamming has drawn further scrutiny, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where he also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
EU officials say the latest incident underscores the growing challenges posed by Russiaโs use of hybrid tactics. โThis is a reminder of the everyday threats faced by Europe,โ Podesta said, vowing that Brussels will continue investing in defence spending and resilience.