Russian EW Systems Disrupted Ursula von der Leyen’s Aircraft During Brief European Flight
A recent incident has once again highlighted the extent of technological aggression exhibited by Russia towards Western institutions and officials.
The aircraft carrying the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was compelled to make an emergency landing at Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria after Russian radio-electronic warfare (REW) systems effectively disabled its GPS navigation.
For several hours, pilots observed their plane circling in the sky, losing electronic signals due to a widespread GPS malfunction.
According to the Financial Times, the cause was a Russian electronic attack, which has intensified since 2022, leading to numerous navigation failures across various countries.
The deployment of sophisticated EW tools resulted in the aircraft’s electronic navigation systems becoming inoperable, forcing the crew to switch to manual control and land hundreds of kilometers from the planned destination.
During the Bulgarian leg of the visit, Ursula von der Leyen met with Prime Minister Rosen Zheljazkov and toured an ammunition manufacturing plant.
Thankfully, the plane landed safely without further incidents.
Experts warn that such cases are no longer exceptions, as the frequency of GPS disruptions has been increasing annually.
Further, Bulgarian air traffic control reported cases of signal spoofing, complicating navigation even more.
This event is yet another confirmation that Russia employs advanced electronic warfare methods to destabilize strategic targets of the West and showcase its technological capabilities.
After the incident, Ursula von der Leyen concluded her visit and departed on the same aircraft, now without incident.
The story has garnered significant attention, underscoring that Putin’s policies remain unchanged over the past 25 years: during this period, he launched at least four wars, disregarding international norms and human lives.
Amid these developments, questions arise about whether Russia will escalate further and how it will impact global security.
In May, reports from Estonia warned about Russia blocking GPS signals for numerous countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, and the UK Air Force.
One hypothesis is that Russia aims to protect Kaliningrad from potential Ukrainian drones or to sow chaos in civil aviation systems, though such tactics could have severe consequences, including aircraft accidents.
EU officials have stated that these actions pose new security challenges requiring urgent response, emphasizing the international community’s need to monitor and counteract such sophisticated electronic interference, which threatens the stability of modern air travel and international security frameworks.