by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
AMSTERDAM/SOFIA/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Bulgaria says Russia was likely behind the jamming of navigation signals that disrupted the flight of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she approached Plovdiv, the country’s second-largest city. Pilots were forced to rely on ground-based navigation and paper charts to land safely, delaying her arrival.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) — a satellite-based navigation tool widely used by planes, ships, and vehicles — was effectively jammed, raising alarm about the security risks of electronic interference with civil and official aviation.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation EU responsible for proposing laws, implementing policies, and managing the bloc’s daily operations, confirmed Sunday’s incident in southern Bulgaria.
A Commission spokesperson said Bulgarian authorities suspect “blatant interference by Russia” and stressed that while von der Leyen’s aircraft landed safely, the episode underscores the EU’s “unshakable commitment to ramp up defence capabilities and support for Ukraine.”
Yoeri Albrecht, a Dutch historian and director of Amsterdam’s independent cultural debate center De Balie, cautioned that the jamming incident demands serious scrutiny. “This jamming was an attempt to kill a head of state; it was a potential war crime,” Albrecht said, drawing a chilling parallel. “One of the most shocking events of the 20th century, amid a century full of wars, was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, the heir to the Austrian throne. His murder triggered World War I. Likewise, endangering your highest officials, whether kings or EU presidents, is naturally a potential act of war.”
Responding at a press briefing, NATO military alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized the gravity of the situation: “This is exactly where NATO is stepping up when it comes to hybrid cyber tactics such as jamming commercial airplanes with potentially disastrous effects.”
He added, “We are working day and night to counter this, to prevent it, and to make sure that they will not do it again.”
After circling for about an hour in the air, Von der Leyen was still able to visit Plovdiv, a city with roots stretching back thousands of years. The Bulgarian hub is known for its Roman amphitheater and was celebrated as a European Capital of Culture in 2019.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Former Mossad director Yossi Cohen said in an exclusive Fox News interview on Friday that Iran’s nuclear program had been “wiped out” following coordinated Israeli-American strikes earlier this year — a development he called a “turning point” for Israel’s security and regional diplomacy.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard made an unannounced visit to the U.S.-operated Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Israel, as American and coalition partners prepare to implement phase two of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and stabilization plan for Gaza.
Israel and India signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to deepen cooperation in defense, industrial production, and technological innovation, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced.
Democrats dominated Tuesday’s off-year elections, handing Republicans a clean sweep of defeats across key races in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York, while also securing a major redistricting victory in California. The results mark a significant public backlash against Republican governance since President Donald Trump returned to office and could reshape the political landscape heading into the 2026 midterms.
The government shutdown entered its 36th day Wednesday, the longest in U.S. history, as bipartisan negotiations in the Senate gained traction and lawmakers sought an off-ramp to reopen federal agencies.
Democrat Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman from Queens, has been elected mayor of New York City, marking a historic moment in the city’s political history. Hundreds of his supporters filled the Brooklyn Paramount Theater on Tuesday night, erupting in celebration as results confirmed his victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi, locally known as Tino, climbed sharply Tuesday as at least 26 people were confirmed dead and hundreds of thousands displaced across the central Philippines, authorities said.