Russia suspected of targeting European Commission President’s plane

The European Commission accuses Moscow of targeting the plane on which its President, Ursula von der Leyen, was travelling.

Russia suspected of jamming GPS on plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen

— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) 2025-09-01T13:06:16Z

The plane’s GPS navigation system was jammed as it attempted to land in Bulgaria over the weekend.

According to CNN, the Commission spokeswoman said she had received “information from the Bulgarian authorities” that the interference had been caused by Russia.

This interference forced the pilots to fall back on a paper map to guide the plane to its landing, a situation that could have had serious consequences.

Moscow has rejected these accusations, which come a few days after its massive strikes on Kiev severely damaged both the European Union delegation building and the premises of the British Council.

Many see this as a deliberate provocation strategy on Russia’s part.