EU Chief Von der Leyen Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Jamming in Bulgaria

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane was forced to land using paper maps at Plovdiv airport in Bulgaria after GPS navigation services were disabled in a suspected Russian interference attack. Officials reported that the entire airport GPS system went dark, leading the pilots to circle for nearly an hour before deciding to land manually. The incident is considered an act of Russian sabotage involving GPS jamming and spoofing, techniques traditionally used in military contexts to disrupt satellite-based navigation. This disruption is part of a broader pattern of similar attacks affecting civilian and military navigation systems in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region. Von der Leyen was en route to meet with Bulgaria's prime minister and visit a defense factory, highlighting Bulgaria's role in supplying military support to Ukraine. In response, von der Leyen described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a predator who must be kept in check through strong deterrence.