SOFIA/BRUSSELS – The aircraft carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was reportedly targeted by a suspected Russian GPS jamming attack during its approach to Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria on Sunday afternoon, according to a Financial Times report citing three officials familiar with the incident.
The alleged interference disabled electronic navigation systems during the final descent phase, forcing the pilot to execute a manual landing using paper maps – a rare emergency procedure in modern aviation. The incident occurred as von der Leyen traveled to Bulgaria for discussions on military support for Ukraine.
While the Kremlin has denied involvement, stating “we have nothing to do with this,” the event marks the latest in a series of suspected Russian electronic warfare operations targeting Western officials. NATO officials have previously warned about Russia’s escalating GPS jamming capabilities, particularly in the Black Sea region.
The Bulgarian government has launched an investigation into the navigation failure, which temporarily affected airport operations. Von der Leyen’s spokesperson confirmed the “technical difficulties” during landing but declined to attribute blame publicly.
This incident highlights growing concerns about aviation security in conflict-adjacent airspace and Russia’s alleged use of hybrid warfare tactics against European leaders. It occurred just days after similar jamming incidents were reported over the Baltic Sea, affecting commercial flights.
