by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
AMSTERDAM/SOFIA/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Bulgaria says Russia was likely behind the jamming of navigation signals that disrupted the flight of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she approached Plovdiv, the country’s second-largest city. Pilots were forced to rely on ground-based navigation and paper charts to land safely, delaying her arrival.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) — a satellite-based navigation tool widely used by planes, ships, and vehicles — was effectively jammed, raising alarm about the security risks of electronic interference with civil and official aviation.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation EU responsible for proposing laws, implementing policies, and managing the bloc’s daily operations, confirmed Sunday’s incident in southern Bulgaria.
A Commission spokesperson said Bulgarian authorities suspect “blatant interference by Russia” and stressed that while von der Leyen’s aircraft landed safely, the episode underscores the EU’s “unshakable commitment to ramp up defence capabilities and support for Ukraine.”
Yoeri Albrecht, a Dutch historian and director of Amsterdam’s independent cultural debate center De Balie, cautioned that the jamming incident demands serious scrutiny. “This jamming was an attempt to kill a head of state; it was a potential war crime,” Albrecht said, drawing a chilling parallel. “One of the most shocking events of the 20th century, amid a century full of wars, was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, the heir to the Austrian throne. His murder triggered World War I. Likewise, endangering your highest officials, whether kings or EU presidents, is naturally a potential act of war.”
Responding at a press briefing, NATO military alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized the gravity of the situation: “This is exactly where NATO is stepping up when it comes to hybrid cyber tactics such as jamming commercial airplanes with potentially disastrous effects.”
He added, “We are working day and night to counter this, to prevent it, and to make sure that they will not do it again.”
After circling for about an hour in the air, Von der Leyen was still able to visit Plovdiv, a city with roots stretching back thousands of years. The Bulgarian hub is known for its Roman amphitheater and was celebrated as a European Capital of Culture in 2019.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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