The Global Positioning System (GPS) of a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was jammed during her flight to Bulgaria on Sunday, a European Union spokesperson confirmed on Monday.
The aircraft landed safely at a Bulgarian airport, the spokesperson said, while describing the incident as “blatant interference” by Russia, according to a Reuters report.
"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," Reuters quoted the spokesperson as saying.
The official added that the European Union has opened an investigation into the incident.
Commission president Von der Leyen, 66, was in Bulgaria as part of a seven-country tour of "frontline" European Union states which, sitting on the 27-nation bloc's eastern flank, are more exposed to Russian hybrid threats.
The region has experienced "a lot of such jamming and spoofing activities", the commission said, adding it has sanctioned several companies believed to be involved.
The Bulgarian government confirmed the incident.
"During the flight carrying European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to Plovdiv, the satellite signal transmitting information to the plane's GPS navigation system was neutralised," a government statement said.
"To ensure the flight's safety, air control services immediately offered an alternative landing method using terrestrial navigation tools," it said.
Earlier, Reuters, citing the Financial Times, reported that suspected Russian interference disrupted GPS navigation at a Bulgarian airport, forcing Ursula von der Leyen’s plane to land in Plovdiv on Sunday using paper maps.
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