Russia is under suspicion for interfering with the GPS of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen‘s airplane, which experienced jamming on Sunday. The President was en route to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, for a four-day official visit to EU member states that share borders with Russia, Belarus, or the Black Sea.
The incident was first reported by the Financial Times. An EU spokesperson confirmed that, due to GPS jamming, the aeroplane was compelled to land in Plovdiv, a city in southern Bulgaria, utilising paper maps instead of the standard electronic navigation systems.
The spokesperson stated, “We can confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria. We have received information from Bulgarian authorities suggesting that this interference may be attributed to Russia.”
While additional details are scarce, this incident is interconnected with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its repeated attempts to disrupt EU operations. Notably, this includes last year’s jamming of GPS navigation devices in the airspace over the Baltic states of Estonia and Finland.
The spokesperson added, “We are fully aware of and accustomed to the threats and intimidation that constitute a regular aspect of Russia’s hostile actions. This incident will further strengthen our unwavering commitment to enhance our defence capabilities and support for Ukraine.”
However, it was not clarified whether there is a belief that President von der Leyen’s plane was specifically targeted.
In a statement, the Bulgarian government indicated that the GPS signal was lost as the plane approached Plovdiv, prompting air traffic controllers to resort to ground-based navigation systems to ensure a safe landing. EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius noted on Monday that the 27-nation bloc intends to increase its number of satellites in low Earth orbit to improve detection of such interference. The EU remains committed to bolstering its defence spending and enhancing its readiness in light of this incident.
GPS jamming entails utilising a device that transmits at a frequency to obstruct or disrupt radio communications, generally by sending signals from the ground that overpower satellite-based signals.
