Russian GPS jamming is suspected of sabotaging the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen‘s jet on the way to Bulgaria.
The plane carrying the EU chief was forced to land at Plovdiv on Sunday using only paper maps, when a surprise interference attack suddenly disabled the GPS navigation system.
The incident was likely the result of a ‘blatant’ Russian sabotage operation, the Bulgarian authorities told the European Commission.
GPS ‘jamming’ or ‘spoofing’, which disrupts access to the satellite-based navigation system, is a tactic Russia has previously used to wreak havoc with civilian life.
The technique has historically been employed by military and intelligence services to protect sensitive locations.
‘We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria,’ European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta said.
‘We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.’
‘The whole airport area GPS went dark,’ an official brief on the incident told the Financial Times.
President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda in Lithuania on Monday, September 1, 2025
GPS ‘jamming’ or ‘spoofing’, which disrupts access to the satellite-based navigation system, is a tactic Russia has previously used to wreak havoc with civilian life
The pilot was forced to circle the airport for an hour before finally making the decision to land the jet manually – using only analogue maps when electronic navigational aids were disabled.
‘It was undeniable interference,’ they added.
The Kremlin has been approached for comment.
In a statement following the suspected sabotage, the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority said that there had been a ‘notable increase’ in such incidents since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
‘These interferences disrupt the accurate reception of [GPS] signals, leading to various operational challenges for aircraft and ground systems,’ the authority said.
EU governments have raised the alarm that the suspected Russian attacks risk causing a major air disaster by essentially cutting pilots off from navigational aids mid-flight.
Planes and boats in the Baltic sea and eastern European states close to Moscow have experienced such interference in recent years – making their journeys perilous.
The EU chief was on her way from Warsaw to Plovdiv for talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov as part of her tour of the bloc’s frontline states about defending Ukraine in its war against Russia.
People gather to look at the destroyed house during a funeral procession and service for 24-year-old Nadiia and her two-year-old daughter Angelina on August 31, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine
A view of damage of a damaged residential area following a Russian overnight combined attack with missiles and Shahed-type drones in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on August 30, 2025
The strike killed one woman, injured 30 people including three children, and caused severe destruction to homes and infrastructure
Russia struck the British Council building in Kyiv as Vladimir Putin blitzed the city with hypersonic missiles and drones in an attack that has killed at least 14 people
A furious Keir Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ‘sabotaging’ any hopes of peace after the double strike
It comes days after Russia deliberately bombed the British Council and the EU’s headquarters in a double strike, triggering furious condemnation from European leaders.
The strikes on Thursday morning were part of a major Russian onslaught on the Ukrainian capital that killed 23 in total, including four children.
A furious Keir Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ‘sabotaging’ any hopes of peace while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks showed ‘Russia still does not fear the consequences’.
Speaking at a trip to the Polish-Belarusian border on Sunday, von der Leyen said: ‘Putin has not changed and will not change. He is a predator.’
The Russian leader will only ‘be kept in check through strong deterrence,’ she added.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .