Von der Leyen’s plane did encounter GPS signal interference in Bulgaria, Russian interference suspected, - European Commission
The plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did indeed encounter GPS signal interference while landing at Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria.
This was announced to journalists in Brussels during a briefing by European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta when asked to comment on relevant media reports, according to Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform.
"We can indeed confirm that there were GPS signal disruptions, but the aircraft landed safely in Bulgaria. We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this was due to blatant interference by Russia," the spokeswoman said.
When asked whether the GPS signal jamming was aimed at the plane carrying the European Commission president, the spokeswoman replied that such questions should be directed to Russia.
"We are, of course, aware of and accustomed to threats and intimidation, which are regular occurrences. We have a regular component of hostile behavior from Russia. Of course, this will only further strengthen our unwavering commitment to building up defense capabilities and supporting Ukraine. This incident actually underscores the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in EU member states on the front lines. On this day, she saw with her own eyes the daily challenges and threats from Russia and its allies," the spokeswoman said.
She also added that following this incident, "the EU will continue to invest in defense spending and in Europe's preparedness even more."
European Commission spokeswoman Anna Kaja said that the EU has long been facing GPS jamming and spoofing, especially on its eastern flank.
"In June this year, 13 member states sent a letter to the European Commission, drawing our attention to incidents that are becoming almost daily practice. This has a serious impact on maritime and air traffic and, of course, has economic consequences," the spokeswoman said.
She also noted that the EU is developing a special action plan to combat this threat and is actively working with the International Civil Aviation Organization, which is also working on global measures to counter jamming and spoofing of satellite signals.
