A plane chartered by the European Commission as it approached Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria, with its president, Ursula von der Leyen, onboard. The aircraft was heavily GPS jammed on descent. The event, which took place a week ago, led to the jamming of the satellite signal used by most planes for GPS navigation.
As the aircraft neared its destination, it unexpectedly lost its GPS signal. In reaction, the government of Bulgaria moved swiftly to release an official statement reiterating the disruption. Bulgarian officials hope that this interference is due to the crude action of Russia. In light of the incident, a European Commission spokesperson emphasized the urgent need for increased investment in European defense and security.
The spokesperson stated, “We are of course aware and used to the threats and intimidations that are a regular component of Russia’s hostile behavior, and of course this will only reinforce further our unshakeable commitment to ramp up defense capabilities and support for Ukraine.”
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, set the record straight. He alleged that what happened during the incident was “inaccurate.” When pressed on whether the aircraft was the intended target of the GPS jamming, the European Commission spokesperson noted that Russia ought to be the one fielding those questions.
This incident fits into a larger trend of rising GPS jamming and spoofing incidents, especially since the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority, “Since February 2022, there has been a notable increase in [GPS] jamming and recently spoofing occurrences.”
Thanks to the quick action of ground control, the plane was able to land safely in Bulgaria despite the interference. After the event, CNBC requested further information from the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority about what occurred.