Russian jamming of the GPS system forces an European Commission plane to make an emergency landing
The plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced serious interference in its GPS system, suspected to be caused by Russia, just before landing in Bulgaria on Sunday. The Commission's spokesperson, Arianna Podesta, confirmed the interference, while Bulgarian authorities suggested that it was the result of "blatant Russian interference."
The interference affected the navigation systems at Plovdiv Airport, forcing the pilot to rely on paper maps. According to reports, the aircraft circled the airport for about an hour before the pilot was able to land manually successfully. The Bulgarian Aviation Safety Agency confirmed the incident, raising further concerns about aviation security in Europe.
Von der Leyen had traveled from Warsaw to Plovdiv for a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. After the incident, she stated: "Putin has not changed and will not change." After her official visit, she left on the same plane without any additional problems.
It remains unclear whether the aircraft was directly targeted. However, Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Ikonen emphasized that jamming and spoofing of satellite navigation systems have significantly increased in recent months, particularly along Europe’s eastern border. She noted that such incidents have begun to occur 'almost daily.'
In June, 13 European countries sent an official letter to the European Commission warning about these recurring incidents. Since then, Brussels has been working with international aviation and security organizations to enhance countermeasures against such interventions, which pose a significant risk to civil aviation and prominent political figures.