Brussels, Sept 2:  There are suspicions of Russian interference in the navigation system of the plane carrying European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen.

While visiting EU countries near the Russia-Belarus border, the radar of the plane carrying President von der Leyen reportedly jammed while flying over the skies of Bulgaria.

According to EU officials, the plane was safely landed at Plovdiv Airport. The incident did not cause any damage during the flight. Following the event, von der Leyen decided to continue her pre-scheduled trip.

Von der Leyen is currently on a four-day visit. She has been a consistent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. For this reason, the news suggests that the incident may not have been a simple technical glitch but could have occurred according to a Russian plan.

European Commission spokesperson Ariana Podesta stated that GPS jamming could be confirmed, and Bulgarian authorities indicated that this could be the result of direct Russian interference.

She noted that the incident highlights how important and sensitive von der Leyen’s visit is.

The Bulgarian government reported that the plane’s GPS navigation system was disrupted, and as the aircraft approached Plovdiv Airport, signals from satellites were completely lost.

On this matter, the European Commission said the incident provides evidence of the ongoing threat from Russia and its allied nations. The EU has also made it clear that it will increase investment in defense spending and security preparations in the region to deal with such situations in the future.

The incident has further heightened the already tense relations between the European Union and Russia.

People’s News Monitoring Service