EU chief’s plane makes emergency landing in Bulgaria

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was forced to make an emergency landing in Bulgaria after its navigation systems were reportedly disrupted by suspected Russian interference.

The Financial Times reported on Monday the incident had occurred on 31 August as von der Leyen was travelling from Warsaw to Plovdiv for talks with Bulgaria’s prime minister.

The aircraft was said to have lost access to GPS signals, prompting the pilots to circle the airport for about an hour before eventually landing using paper charts.

The Guardian reported that the European Commission has confirmed the incident. A spokesperson said it highlighted the importance of von der Leyen’s mission to EU member states “on the front line”.

Electronic jamming of satellite navigation systems has increasingly been reported near conflict zones since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.