A suspected Russian interference attack targeting the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, disabled GPS navigation services at a Bulgarian airport and forced the commission president’s plane to land using paper maps, the Financial Times writes. The Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority has confirmed the incident.

• Ursula von der Leyen: Bulgaria contributes to the common security of the European Union

In connection with the media information regarding the flight of the European Commission president to Bulgaria, the government press service has stated that during the flight of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the satellite signal towards the airplane’s GPS navigation system was "neutralized". The GPS signal disappeared as the plane was approaching Plovdiv airport. To ensure the safety of the flight, the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority immediately suggested an alternative approach to the landing using ground-based navigation aids. “The ground-based navigation aids Bulgaria uses are independent of GPS systems and allow for a safe and reliable landing,” the government press service says. Flight rerouting was not necessary. Ursula von der Leyen’s airplane was chartered by the European Commission.

As part of her visit to this country, Ursula von der Leyen and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov paid a visit to Vazov Machine Building Works in Sopot.

Editing by Miglena Ivanova
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photo: Council of Ministers