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 suspected Russian interference attack suddenly disabled the GPS navigation system.
Three officials briefed on the situation told the Financial Times that the incident was likely the work of a Russian sabotage operation.
GPS ‘jamming’ or ‘spoofing’, which disrupts access to the satellite-based navigation system, is a tactic Russia has previously used to wreak havoc on civilian life.
The technique has historically been employed by military and intelligence services to protect sensitive locations.
‘The whole airport area GPS went dark,’ said one of the officials.
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 and European Commission have 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 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.
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.
