Allegations of GPS Jamming on Ursula Von Der Leyen’s Plane: Was Russia the Target?

The aircraft carrying European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen reportedly experienced GPS signal jamming during its landing in Bulgaria. The EU claimed the incident was part of Russia’s “hostile behaviour.” The Kremlin, however, denied the accusations.

Von Der Leyen’s plane encountered a disruption to GPS navigation services while landing at Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Air Traffic Control Agency confirmed interference with the GPS signal.

EU spokesperson Arianna Podesta said in a statement:

“We can confirm the GPS signal was disrupted, but the aircraft landed safely in Bulgaria. We were informed by Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this was the result of direct Russian interference. Russia’s hostile behaviour is already well known. Such threats will only further strengthen our resolve to boost defence capacity and maintain our support for Ukraine.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov firmly rejected the allegations.

The Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority reported a significant rise in navigation disruptions since January 2022. Von Der Leyen’s visit to Bulgaria took place as part of her diplomatic engagements with EU countries neighbouring Russia.