EU's Von der Leyen’s flight hit by suspected Russian GPS jamming in Bulgaria

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s aircraft lost access to GPS navigation services while approaching Plovdiv airport in Bulgaria on Sunday, forcing pilots to land using paper maps. Officials familiar with the incident told The Financial Times it was being treated as suspected Russian interference.

According to one of the officials, “The whole airport area GPS went dark.” The plane circled for nearly an hour before the pilot decided to land manually using analogue maps. The official described the disruption as “undeniable interference.”

The disruption is linked to GPS jamming, a practice that prevents or distorts satellite-based navigation. Initially used for military and intelligence protection, such interference is now increasingly reported as a tool of disruption. European governments have raised concerns that growing Russian-linked GPS jamming could cause serious aviation risks.


Similar incidents have become frequent in the Baltic Sea and eastern European states bordering Russia, affecting not only aircraft but also ships and civilian navigation systems.

Von der Leyen was travelling from Warsaw to Plovdiv to meet Bulgarian prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and visit a defence factory. Speaking in Bulgaria, she said, “Russian president Vladimir] Putin has not changed, and he will not change. He is a predator. He can only be kept in check through strong deterrence.”

Bulgaria has been a key European supplier of military support to Ukraine, first by sending Soviet-era equipment and later by providing artillery and defence products from its industry.

Von der Leyen left Bulgaria on the same aircraft without further incident.