Brussels, Belgium – The European Union announced on Monday that the Global Positioning System (GPS) on a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was jammed. This happened as it prepared to land in Bulgaria yesterday, Sunday.
European Commission spokeswoman Ariana Podesta confirmed the occurrence of GPS interference at a press conference in Brussels.
She also assured the public that the plane landed safely in Bulgaria.
Podesta further stated that the Bulgarian authorities suspect that this interference was a deliberate act of Russian interference.
However, it remains unclear whether the charter flight was specifically targeted.
The plane landed safely at Plovdiv Airport in southern Bulgaria without any need to change course.
Despite the incident, Von der Leyen will continue her planned tour of EU member states bordering Russia and Belarus.
Von der Leyen, who is 66 years old, was in Bulgaria as part of a tour. This tour includes seven countries that are considered to be on the “front lines” of the European Union.
These countries are located on the eastern flank of the bloc and are more susceptible to confrontation with Russia.
The Commission expressed concern about the region’s recent activities, describing them as “many instances of confusion and deception.”
Podesta also announced that she had imposed sanctions on several companies believed to have been involved in the interference.
Neutralize interference
The Bulgarian government confirmed the incident.
“During the flight carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Plovdiv, satellite signals transmitting information to the aircraft’s global navigation positioning system were neutralized,” the government stated in a statement.
“To ensure flight safety, air traffic controllers immediately offered an alternative landing method using ground navigation instruments,” she added.
The Financial Times reported that the plane was forced to use paper maps to land.
Podesta emphasized, “This incident underscores the significance and necessity of the mission undertaken by the President of the European Commission. Her mission is in the European Union member states located on the front lines.”
The European Commission spokeswoman clarified that von der Leyen witnessed “directly the daily challenges posed by threats emanating from Russia and its agents.”
“Of course, the EU will continue to bolster investment in defense and enhance Europe’s readiness even further in response to this incident,” she added.
