Von der Leyen’s plane landed using paper maps due to Russian interference with GPS, - FT
The electronic navigation equipment of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane was "jammed" during its approach to the airport in Bulgaria, causing the GPS to stop working. Possible interference by the Russian Federation is suspected.
This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources, according to Censor.NET.
This happened on Sunday, August 31. After circling over Plovdiv Airport for an hour, the pilot decided to land manually using analog maps.
Bulgarian air traffic control confirmed the incident.
"Since February 2022, there has been a notable increase in (GPS) jamming and recently spoofing occurrences. These interferences disrupt the accurate reception of (GPS) signals, leading to various operational challenges for aircraft and ground systems," they noted.
Spokesman for dictator Putin, Dmitry Peskov told the FT that "your information is incorrect".
Von der Leyen left Plovdiv on the same plane without incident after the visit.
The publication notes that in recent years GPS jamming incidents have risen significantly in the Baltic Sea and eastern European countries bordering Russia, affecting aircraft, ships, and civilians.
