Brussels/Sofia, Sept 1, 2025 — In a dramatic escalation of geopolitical tensions, the European Commission has accused Russia of jamming the GPS navigation system of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s aircraft on Sunday, August 31.
According to EU officials, the plane’s navigation system was disrupted mid-flight while returning from a visit to Poland, forcing the pilot to rely on physical maps to land safely in Bulgaria.
Forced Landing Amid High Tensions
The aircraft reportedly circled Bulgarian airspace for nearly an hour as the crew attempted to restore GPS signals. When the jamming persisted, the pilot executed a manual landing at a Bulgarian airport.
Bulgarian security agencies later indicated that the jamming bore hallmarks of Russian electronic warfare tactics, though Moscow has not yet issued an official response.
A Calculated Provocation?
The incident comes at a time when the EU has taken a firm stance against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine. Von der Leyen has been one of the most vocal European leaders backing Ukraine and criticizing President Vladimir Putin on global platforms.
“Tampering with the flight safety of the EU’s top official is not just reckless — it is a direct provocation,” a senior European diplomat told reporters in Brussels.
Poland and Belarus at the Heart of the Divide
Von der Leyen’s aircraft was returning from the Poland-Belarus border, a symbolic fault line in the Russia-Ukraine war. While Poland stands firmly with Ukraine and the West, Belarus has openly aligned itself with Moscow.
Just days earlier, von der Leyen had met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Western leaders during coordinated efforts to rally support in Washington.
What’s Next?
The European Commission is expected to raise the matter at NATO and EU security councils this week. Analysts warn that if confirmed, Russia’s jamming of a high-ranking EU leader’s aircraft could mark a dangerous new front in hybrid warfare.
For now, questions loom over whether this was a deliberate act of intimidation or an extension of Russia’s broader electronic warfare operations spilling into civilian and political domains.
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