EU Chief’s Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Jamming in Bulgaria — A Close Call
By: Oluwaseun Lawal
Something strange happened as Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was about to land in Bulgaria. The GPS system on her plane suddenly stopped working. Yep, GPS jamming. And fingers are pointing at Russia. At least, that’s what the European Commission said on Monday.
Bulgarian officials suspect Moscow’s behind it. But here’s the thing — it’s not clear if the plane was the actual target or just caught in the crossfire. These kinds of GPS attacks? They’re pretty common around that region.
“We can confirm there was GPS jamming,” said Arianna Podesta, a spokesperson for the Commission, during a press briefing.
Luckily, the plane landed safely at Plovdiv International Airport without having to change course. Von der Leyen, 66, was on a tour of seven “frontline” EU countries — those sitting right on the eastern edge of the bloc, where Russian threats are a daily reality.
A different Commission spokesperson added that the region has seen “a lot of such jamming and spoofing activities.” The EU has even slapped sanctions on companies believed to be involved.
Bulgarian authorities said the satellite signals feeding the plane’s GPS were “neutralised.” Air traffic controllers quickly switched to old-school navigation methods — think paper maps and terrestrial signals — to guide the plane down safely.
The Financial Times reported the plane was basically forced to land using paper maps. Imagine that in 2025!
Von der Leyen’s trip was meant to show support for countries facing the brunt of Russia’s hybrid threats. Podesta called these “threats and intimidations” a regular part of Russia’s hostile playbook.
But here’s the kicker: this incident only strengthens the EU’s resolve to boost defense and keep supporting Ukraine. Europe’s been ramping up military spending since Russia invaded Ukraine over three years ago.
Meanwhile, talks about Ukraine’s security and a possible truce are still stuck. Moscow keeps dragging its feet on a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
So yeah, the skies over Bulgaria got a little more tense than usual. But the plane landed safe. And the message? Europe isn’t backing down.
