A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faced GPS signal jamming while trying to land in Bulgaria on Sunday, a commission spokesperson told CNN.
Bulgarian authorities suspect Russia was behind the interference, according to European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Arianna Podestà.
The aircraft landed safely, but a source familiar with the matter said the pilots had to rely on paper maps.
Von der Leyen has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters as the country defends itself against Russia’s aggression. She recently joined other European leaders at President Donald Trump’s summit on Ukraine and has consistently called on EU members to send more aid.
The jamming took place as her plane approached Plovdiv International Airport in southern Bulgaria, part of her tour through eastern EU states to build support for Ukraine.
“This incident underlines the urgency of the President’s current trip to frontline Member States, where she has seen first hand the everyday threats from Russia and its proxies,” Podestà said.
She explained the flight was a charter and that it was not clear if the attackers specifically targeted the plane.
Russia has long used GPS interference as part of its hybrid warfare tactics. Scandinavian and Baltic countries have reported repeated disruptions, and a study by researchers in Poland and Germany found that Moscow used a shadow fleet and its Kaliningrad territory to jam GPS signals.
The European Union has already sanctioned Russian state-linked groups and individuals over past jamming incidents.
“This will further reinforce our unshakable commitment to ramp up our defense capabilities and support for Ukraine,” Podestà added.
Von der Leyen’s Bulgaria stop was one part of her wider tour of EU nations bordering Russia, Belarus, and the Black Sea. The trip was aimed at showing strength and unity as Moscow continues attacking Ukrainian cities and blocking peace efforts.
She visited Latvia and Finland on Friday, Estonia on Saturday, and Poland and Bulgaria on Sunday. Her final stops on Monday included Lithuania and Romania.
Speaking in Sofia shortly after the incident—but before it was public—von der Leyen urged Europe to “keep up the sense of urgency.”
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has not changed, and he will not change. He is a predator. He can only be kept in check through strong deterrence,” she said.
CNN’s Anna Chernova and James Frater contributed to this report.
