On Sunday, August 31, 2025, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced a dramatic loss of GPS navigation while flying over Bulgarian airspace. Bulgarian authorities swiftly suspected Russian interference, thrusting the incident into the spotlight amid a string of similar disruptions across Europe. The episode, which forced the pilots to rely on backup navigation systems and even paper maps, has reignited concerns about the security of European skies and the evolving tactics of electronic warfare in the region.
According to a statement from Arianna Podestà, spokesperson for the European Commission, "We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming." She added, "We have received information from the Bulgarian authority that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia." The plane, a private jet chartered by the European Commission, was en route from Warsaw, Poland, to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, as part of von der Leyen’s four-day tour of the European Union’s eastern frontline nations. Despite the sudden loss of the GPS signal as the aircraft approached Plovdiv Airport, the pilots managed a safe landing using alternative navigation aids, including traditional paper maps, as reported by The Financial Times and CBS News.
Bulgarian authorities issued a statement confirming that "the satellite signal used for the aircraft's GPS navigation was disrupted." As the disruption occurred during the plane’s approach to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s Civil Aviation Authority instructed the pilots to switch to backup navigation tools. The incident is only the latest in a growing series of suspected Russian electronic interferences with GPS satellite navigation, a trend that has alarmed officials and aviation experts across Europe.
Von der Leyen’s trip, which began in Riga, Latvia, and included stops in Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, and Bulgaria, was designed to show solidarity with the EU’s eastern members—states that have borne the brunt of Russian aggression and hybrid threats since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As Podestà put it, "This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states." She emphasized that von der Leyen has witnessed "firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies."
Indeed, since 2022, Western officials have attributed dozens of attacks and incidents across Europe to Russia and its proxies, ranging from vandalism and arson to sabotage and attempted assassinations. The recent surge in GPS jamming and spoofing—where strong radio signals either overwhelm or mislead navigation systems—has compounded these concerns. According to Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, another European Commission spokesperson, "We have been seeing quite a lot of such jamming and spoofing activities, notably, in the eastern flank of Europe." She described the phenomenon as "an almost daily practice," with Europe now considered the most affected region globally.
The technical aspects of these attacks are as troubling as their frequency. GPS jamming involves broadcasting powerful signals from the ground, drowning out the weaker satellite signals that aircraft depend on for navigation. Spoofing, on the other hand, manipulates receivers into believing they are in a different location or time, potentially leading to dangerous confusion for pilots and air traffic controllers. Eric Schouten, an intelligence analyst and CEO of Dyami Security Intelligence, remarked to The Associated Press that pilots and air traffic controllers from Sweden to Bulgaria "are reinventing the old-school methods of navigating because they cannot rely on GPS anymore."
Recent months have seen a marked escalation in these tactics. In August 2025, Latvia’s Electronic Communications Office identified at least three GPS jamming hotspots along its borders with Russia. Earlier in the year, a Finnish airline suspended flights to Estonia’s Tartu airport after experiencing similar disruptions, and a plane carrying the British defense secretary had its satellite signal jammed near Russian territory. Estonia, too, accused Russia of jamming GPS devices above the Baltic states, forcing Finnair to divert flights back to Helsinki.
Bulgaria’s statement on the incident with von der Leyen’s plane made clear that the disruption was not an isolated event but part of a broader campaign. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority noted that "since February 2022, there has been a notable increase in [GPS] jamming and recently spoofing occurrences," leading to "various operational challenges for aircraft and ground systems."
While the Kremlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told The Financial Times that the information was "incorrect." Nevertheless, the pattern of electronic interference has become difficult to ignore. Intelligence officials have tracked Russian efforts to sabotage infrastructure across continental Europe, targeting undersea cables, warehouses, and railways in what appears to be a bid to pressure Europe and the United States to scale back their support for Ukraine. These covert operations have also reportedly affected American-made precision-guided weapons and Ukrainian drones, according to Ukrainian commanders cited by The New York Times.
Von der Leyen’s response to the incident was resolute. In an interview with The Financial Times, she revealed that European nations have "formulated precise plans" for post-war troop deployments in Ukraine, should diplomatic efforts led by President Trump succeed in brokering a truce. She also noted assurances from President Trump that there would be an "American presence" as a "backstop" to security guarantees for Ukraine, though she did not elaborate on the specifics.
The European Union has seized on the incident as further justification for bolstering its defense capabilities. As Podestà stated, "The EU will continue to invest in defense spending and in Europe’s readiness even more after this incident." EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius announced that the 27-nation bloc would increase its number of satellites in low orbit to enhance detection of interference. The commitment was echoed by other European leaders, who have called for a robust and coordinated response to hybrid threats emanating from Russia.
For von der Leyen, the episode served as a vivid reminder of the stakes involved in her mission. Her tour of Europe’s eastern flank was always intended to signal solidarity and resolve in the face of Russian aggression. The GPS jamming—whether targeted or collateral—only reinforced the message that the EU must remain vigilant and prepared for the evolving challenges of modern warfare.
The safe landing in Plovdiv was a testament to the professionalism of the flight crew and the resilience of backup systems. But it also left little doubt that the skies over Europe are increasingly contested, with electronic interference now a persistent threat. As Europe moves to strengthen its defenses and support for Ukraine, the events of August 31, 2025, will likely be remembered as a clarion call for unity and preparedness in an era of hybrid conflict.