The GPS navigation system of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s was jammed as it prepared to land over the weekend, Bulgarian officials said, sparking accusations of a Russian interference operation.
The government in Sofia said in a statement on September 1 that the airport control tower in the city of Plovdiv lost the GPS signal of the aircraft as it approached. Ground navigation aids independent from the GPS systems were used to land the plane safely, it added.
“There was a neutralization of the satellite signal supplying information to the aircraft’s GPS navigation system. During the landing approach at Plovdiv Airport, the GPS signal disappeared,” the government said.
Bulgaria’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) also confirmed the attack and said it has “noticed an increase in cases of GPS signal disappearance since the start of the war against Ukraine.”
Intelligence agencies and analysts have warned of a sharp increase in Russian sabotage operations — using proxy operatives — in Europe, targeting critical infrastructure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The scope of so-called hybrid attacks blamed on Russia includes arson attacks, incidents where ships have damaged undersea communications cables, disruption of GPS satellite navigation signals, and the hacking of computer infrastructure.
While the Bulgarian statement did not mention Russia being behind the August 31 incident, an EU official said “we have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.”
“We are, of course, aware and used to somehow to the threats and intimidations that are a regular component of Russia’s hostile behavior,” Arianna Podesta, the European Commission’s deputy chief spokesperson, said.
Russian officials have not commented publicly on the accusations.
Von der Leyen, a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is on a four-day tour of the EU nations bordering Russia and Belarus, a staunch ally of the Kremlin.
Podesta said the incident “underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the frontline member states.”
“Of course, this will only reinforce even further our unshakable commitment to ramp up defense capabilities and support for Ukraine,” she added.
Von der Leyen flew to from Bulgaria to Romania on September 1 without incident.
