European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee | Getty Images
The European Union (EU) on Monday said Russia was suspected of jamming the GPS system of a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Bulgaria on Sunday.
“We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria. We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia,” a European Commission spokesperson said at a press briefing Monday.
“We are of course aware and used to the threats and intimidations that are a regular component of Russia’s hostile behavior, and of course this will only reinforce further our unshakeable commitment to ramp up defense capabilities and support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson added.
The incident underlined the need to urgently invest in European defense and security, the spokesperson said.
Von der Leyen was on a plane chartered by the European Commission, the EU said. Asked by a reporter if the plane had been the intended target of the alleged GPS jamming — which prevents access to the satellite-based navigation system — the spokesperson said, “I think the question is best asked to the Russians if indeed it is them that have carried it out.”
CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for a response to the allegation. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Financial Times earlier that the information was “incorrect,” however.
CNBC has contacted the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority for further information on the incident. However, an earlier statement to the FT read: “Since February 2022, there has been a notable increase in [GPS] jamming and recently spoofing occurrences,” it said. “These interferences disrupt the accurate reception of [GPS] signals, leading to various operational challenges for aircraft and ground systems.”
Bulgaria’s government on Monday issued a statement, reported by Sky News, saying that “the satellite signal used for the aircraft’s GPS navigation was disrupted.”
“As the aircraft approached Plovdiv Airport, the GPS signal was lost,” the statement added.
