Russia Blamed as EU Chief's Plane Loses GPS Access

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was forced to land using paper maps after suspected Russian GPS jamming disabled navigation systems at a Bulgarian airport on Sunday. Sources tell the Financial Times that the jet lost all electronic navigational aids as it neared the airport, forcing the crew to circle for an hour before landing manually using paper maps. Bulgarian air traffic authorities confirmed the GPS outage, describing a spike in GPS disruptions—jamming and spoofing—since early 2022, which they say have increasingly complicated aircraft operations.

The European Commission acknowledged the incident, stating that GPS jamming had occurred but emphasizing the flight landed safely. Commission representatives pointed to Russia as the likely culprit, citing a pattern of such electronic interference across the region. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected these claims. Earlier this year, 13 EU nations formally raised concerns about GPS jamming. Once a tool mainly for military defense, it has seen broader deployment around the Baltic Sea and in countries bordering Russia, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with European officials warning that the trend could lead to dangerous situations for civilian flights, per the BBC and the Times.

Von der Leyen traveled from Poland to Bulgaria—a significant supplier of military aid to Ukraine, a point of tension as the conflict with Russia persists—as part of a tour focused on EU defense strategies. She continued her schedule after the incident, meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and visiting an ammunition facility. After the visit, von der Leyen's departing flight proceeded without incident.