Russia jams GPS signal of flight carrying EU commission president, say authorities

A chartered flight carrying the president of the European Commission to Bulgaria from Poland had its GPS signal jammed.

"We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria," a European Commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels on Monday (1 September).

Authorities in Bulgaria suspect Russia is behind the attack, which had also likely affected other flights in and around the Plovdiv International Airport. The Financial Times reported her pilot was forced to land the plane manually using analogue maps.

"There was no change of route because of this," said the commission spokesperson.

The European Commission says Europe is the most affected region in the world when it comes to GPS jamming and spoofing.

Some 13 member states had in June demanded an EU response against interference of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

In a letter sent to the European Commission, they demanded a unified response to hybrid threats posed by hostile regime like Russia.

"Disruptions to GNSS signals have a direct impact on strategic sectors such as transport, energy, and telecommunications," they said.

For its part, the commission on Monday said they are preparing "an action plan" to tackle the abuse.

"The plan can include more concrete actions, something that have more teeth to really concretely address this. But for the moment, this is what what we are doing," said the commission spokesperson.

The EU has in the past slapped sanctions on companies and individuals behind GPS jamming and spoofing.

Every month, hundreds of thousands of people read the journalism and opinion published by EUobserver. With your support, millions of others will as well.

If you're not already, become a supporting member today.