European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podestà confirmed on Monday that the plane carrying President Ursula Von Der Leyen was interference with the GPS system during the landing in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
“We can confirm that there were interference in the GPS, but the plane landed without incidents,” said Podestà, adding that local authorities suspect an action from Russia.
According to the newspaper Financial Timesthe incident occurred on Sunday (31), when the chartered aircraft lost access to electronic navigation aids and had to complete the approach to the airport using paper maps.
“We received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this blatant interference was conducted by Russia,” said the spokesman.
Von der Leyen was on an official trip by European Union Member States bordering Russia and Belarus, including Poland, Finland and the Baltic countries, with the aim of reinforcing the message that the bloc is committed to expanding its defense capabilities. In Bulgaria, the president visited the Vazov ammunition factory in Sopot, accompanied by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
“We are very aware that threats and intimidation are a usual component of Russia’s hostile actions,” Podestà said. “This will further reinforce our unwavering commitment to increase our defense capabilities and our support for Ukraine,” he added.
Interference, known as GPS jamming or spoofinghas been increasingly used to disrupt civil and military operations. Since 2022, European governments have recorded frequent episodes in the Baltic Sea and in the continent’s eastern countries. For Brussels, the practice is part of the Russian hybrid war strategy, which also includes infrastructure sabotage and migration flow manipulation.
During the visit, von der Leyen again criticized Moscow. In a speech alongside ZhelyAzkov, she said, “Putin hasn’t changed, and he won’t change. He is a predator. It can only be contained through a strong dissuasion.”
The episode in Plovdiv also coincided with protests organized by the Bulgarian Revival Nationalist Party, with pro-Russian orientation. Protesters surrounded a car that believed von der Leyen, striking the vehicle with flags and harassing the police. Despite the confusion, the president’s agenda was fully fulfilled, including the local military industry inspection.
