Russia has been accused of sabotaging the satellite signal of the airplane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, forcing it to circle for an hour above its destination airport in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The disturbing episode, which involved targeted GPS interference affecting the entire airfield, did not ultimately endanger the charter flight. However, it has significantly heightened alarms about the escalation of electronic warfare—specifically jamming and spoofing attacks—along Europe’s eastern borders and the severe risks they pose to aviation safety.
While von der Leyen’s aircraft did not have to alter its course, it was compelled to switch to traditional ground-based navigation systems for landing, unable to use its satellite-guided systems. “We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities” concerning suspicions of “blatant interference coming from Russia,” stated a spokesperson for the EU executive, Arianna Podestà, confirming an incident first reported by the Financial Times. “We are accustomed to threats and intimidation, which are a regular part of Moscow’s hostile posture,” she added.
Sofia confirmed the loss of the GPS signal at the airport and the activation of backup terrestrial systems to ensure the flight’s safety. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, denied any involvement, stating, “Your information is wrong.” Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also commented, saying, “I am not an aeronautical technician. I have read that Russia denies any involvement, so I will not comment on hypotheses.”
The incident in Bulgaria occurred while the Commission President was en route from Warsaw to Plovdiv for a meeting with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and a visit to a munitions factory. There, protests led by the pro-Russian Revival party leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, reportedly targeted a car, surrounding and striking it under the mistaken belief that it was carrying von der Leyen—a circumstance that remains unconfirmed.
It is not certain that von der Leyen’s flight was the intended target of the alleged Russian jamming. The European Commission noted that other aircraft may have also been affected. However, Plovdiv airport has sparse traffic, and unofficial sources like flightradar24.com recorded only one incoming flight that Sunday. In a related development, the head of the German defense staff, Carsten Breuer, revealed he had recently experienced two identical GPS failure incidents: one while flying north of the Baltic Sea and another en route to visit German troops in Lithuania. “We are dealing with acts of sabotage and espionage; we are also subject to hybrid actions that we can trace back to state actors and also to Russia,” he explained.
The phenomenon of satellite signal interference is not new. “We have seen numerous jamming and spoofing activities, especially on the eastern flank,” explained European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen. In June, thirteen member states wrote to Brussels demanding action, following similar incidents in recent years in the Baltic region, where commercial flights were forced to return to Helsinki after being unable to land in Tartu, Estonia. The Commission is now developing an action plan for aviation with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Eurocontrol, member states, and the aerospace industry. The EU has already sanctioned several Russian companies involved in such attacks and intends to support a broader plan by the UN’s civil aviation agency.
“Interference and spoofing damage our air, maritime, and transport economies. Our EU Galileo space project can help! We already provide an authentication service to detect spoofing. We will increase the number of satellites in low Earth orbit to ensure greater robustness and improve interference detection,” stated EU Commissioner for Defence, Andrius Kubilius.