European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was hit by GPS jamming in what her spokesperson said was a suspected Russian operation.
Von der Leyen landed safely in Bulgaria and was expected to resume her planned trip to frontline European countries. The pilot on the plane, after circling for the airport for an hour, landed the aircraft manually using paper maps, The Financial Times reported.
“We can confirm there was GPS jamming but the plane landed safe,” a commission spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill’s sister network, NewsNation.
“We have received information from Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this blatant interference was carried out by Russia,” the statement continued. “We are well aware that threats and intimidation are a regular component of Russia’s hostile actions.”
The spokesperson said the suspected Russian attack only reinforces the EU leader’s commitment to Ukraine.
“This will further reinforce our unshakable commitment to ramp up our defence capabilities and support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.
“This incident underlines the urgency of the President’s current trip to frontline Member States, where she has seen first hand the every day threats from Russia and its proxies,” the statement continued. “The EU will continue to invest in defence and in Europe’s readiness.”
The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment.
It’s the latest instance of Russia being accused of interfering with GPS technology. The Associated Press reported that, for months, countries that border Russia have warned of the increasing electronic activity interfering with flights, ships and drones.
