Brussels, Sep 1 (AP) - In a concerning development, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced GPS jamming while over Bulgaria, raising suspicions of Russian involvement, according to a spokesperson on Monday.
The aircraft successfully landed at Plovdiv airport, allowing von der Leyen to proceed with her scheduled tour of EU nations that share borders with Russia and Belarus, stated the commission's spokesperson, Arianna Podesta.
“We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming,” Podesta reported. "We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities suggesting that this might be due to blatant interference by Russia.” Von der Leyen, known for her strong criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, is engaged in a four-day tour of EU member states situated near Russia and its ally, Belarus.
“This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states," Podesta emphasized.
She highlighted that von der Leyen has observed "firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies.” Podesta further stated, "And, of course, the EU will continue to invest in defense spending and in Europe’s readiness even more after this incident.”
Bulgaria issued a statement acknowledging that “the satellite signal used for the aircraft's GPS navigation was disrupted. As the aircraft approached Plovdiv Airport, the GPS signal was lost.” (AP) SKS GSP
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