Information
The European Commission confirmed that the plane carrying its president, Ursula von der Leyen, to Bulgaria experienced deliberate GPS jamming but landed safely at Plovdiv Airport. Despite the disruption, von der Leyen continued her scheduled tour of EU countries bordering Russia and Belarus. She had already met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to discuss European security and defence matters. The Commission’s spokesperson noted that Bulgarian authorities suspect Russia was behind the interference, describing it as an act of intimidation consistent with Moscow’s hostile tactics.
Bulgarian officials explained that the plane’s satellite navigation signal was disrupted as it approached Plovdiv, forcing the pilot to rely on manual navigation and analogue maps, which delayed the flight by about an hour. The incident adds to mounting concerns in Europe over Russia’s use of hybrid warfare methods, including cyber attacks, espionage, and sabotage, to undermine EU countries. In response, the European Commission reiterated its commitment to strengthening defence spending and improving readiness, underlining the seriousness with which it views the growing security threats from Moscow.
Source: AP, AFP, Reuters
So What
The European Union’s decision to openly attribute the GPS jamming of President von der Leyen’s aircraft to Russia suggests Brussels possesses credible intelligence to support the claim. The incident was most likely intended as a demonstration of Moscow’s ongoing ability to disrupt and intimidate, rather than a direct attempt to harm the EU leader. While the action highlights Russia’s continued use of hybrid tactics against European targets, it is unlikely to alter the EU’s strategic planning or deter its ongoing commitments to defence and security measures.
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