European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane experienced GPS jamming over Bulgaria, with Bulgarian authorities suspecting Russian interference. The aircraft landed safely at Plovdiv airport and the planned four-day tour of eastern EU nations continues, including Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. The incident is part of a series of suspected Russian electronic interferences that have disrupted flights, ships and drones in countries bordering Russia. Bulgarian authorities reported the satellite signal for GPS navigation was disrupted during the flight from Warsaw and was lost on approach to Plovdiv. Russian authorities did not respond to requests for comment. The European Commission indicated the incident increases urgency for defense spending and readiness.
A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was hit by GPS jamming over Bulgaria in a suspected Russian operation, a spokesperson said Monday. The plane landed safely at Plovdiv airport and von der Leyen will continue her planned tour of European Union's nations in the east, said commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta. We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, said Podesta. We have received information from the Bulgarian authority that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.
Von der Leyen, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's war in Ukraine, is on a four-day tour of much of the EU's eastern flank, visiting Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states, Podesta said. She said that von der Leyen has seen firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies.
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