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 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.