The navigation system of a plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted due to suspected Russian interference, the European Commission said.
A spokesperson stated that the 'GPS jamming' occurred while the Commission president was about to arrive in southern Bulgaria on Sunday, but she landed safely.
They added: 'We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.'
The Financial Times reported that von der Leyen's plane had to land at Plovdiv Airport, relying on paper maps due to the disrupted GPS navigation.
The European Commission emphasized that 'threats and intimidation are a regular component of Russia's hostile actions' and stated that the incident would reinforce its commitment to enhancing defense capabilities and support for Ukraine.
The Bulgarian government confirmed that during the flight, 'the satellite signal transmitting information to the plane's GPS navigation system was neutralized.'
The statement continued: 'To ensure the flight's safety, air control services immediately offered an alternative landing method using terrestrial navigation tools.'
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to the reports stating that the information was 'incorrect.'
Bulgaria's Air Traffic Services Authority noted a 'notable increase' in navigation jamming since January 2022.
Experts have warned that Russia was causing disruptions to satellite navigation systems, affecting thousands of civilian flights.
Cyrille Rosay, a senior cybersecurity expert at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), remarked that such incidents have worsened since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow has regularly denied scrambling satellite-based systems, which are crucial for determining a plane's location.
Ursula von der Leyen was visiting Bulgaria as part of a tour of eastern EU states to discuss defense readiness.
A Commission spokesperson noted she witnessed the everyday threats from Russia and its proxies during the tour.
