Commission president was on a tour of frontline states when her plane was the target of interference.
A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was hit by GPS interference on Sunday, with Russia suspected of being behind the attack.
“We can confirm there was GPS jamming but the plane landed safe,” Arianna Podestà, deputy spokesperson of the Commission, said in a statement shared with POLITICO.
Von der Leyen is on a tour visiting “frontline states” Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania, in an effort to underscore the European Union’s commitment to ramping up its defense and security capabilities.
She arrived in Bulgaria on Sunday, where she visited an arms producer in Sopot, accompanied by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
The jet, which was chartered by the European Commission for the trip, was unable to use electronic navigational aids as a result of the interference while approaching the airport at Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city.
"Air Traffic Services immediately proposed an alternative landing approach using ground-based navigation aids (Instrument Landing System). The ground-based navigation aids used in Bulgaria are independent of GPS systems," a press release from the Bulgarian government said.
"We further clarify that there was no need to divert the flight," it added.
Podestà said the Commission received information from Bulgarian authorities indicating that “they suspect this blatant interference was carried out by Russia.”
“This incident underlines the urgency of the President’s current trip to frontline Member States, where she has seen firsthand the everyday threats from Russia and its proxies,” she said.
GPS jamming
Note: The term "sabotage" suggests that someone hired by the Russians would need to have physical access to the aircraft, but this is not necessary.
GPS can be compromised electronically and remotely.
"Jamming," uses a frequency-transmitting device to block or interfere with radio communications, typically transmitting ground signals stronger than satellite signals.
"Spoofing" can involve military personnel sending false GPS signals to an enemy aircraft or drone to impair its ability to operate.
They can also use satellites for this purpose.
This isn't "new"; global aviation detected several cases last year, in 2024. Link BBC
In December, an aviation advisory body flagged an increase in spoofing affecting private and commercial jets across the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, and Israel, and the Black Sea. The Baltic countries have been reporting these GPS issues on aircraft since 2022, ever since the invasion of Ukraine began.
However, cases have been reported in an area stretching from Poland, through the Baltic states, to the Swedish and Finnish coasts, also affecting lower altitudes and maritime traffic.
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