• A plane carrying EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen was targeted by suspected Russian GPS jamming in Bulgaria.
• The incident forced the plane to circle before landing safely using paper maps.
• This jamming incident underscores escalating security threats faced by EU nations near Russia.
• NATO is intensifying measures to address the increasing occurrences of electronic interference.
• The Bulgarian government suspects that this disruption is part of broader hybrid warfare tactics by Russia.

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was reportedly hit by GPS jamming while attempting to land in Bulgaria, as confirmed by EU officials. The incident occurred as the aircraft approached Plovdiv International Airport, prompting the pilot to navigate using paper maps, according to Newsweek, Anadolu, and HuffPost.

The spokesperson for the European Commission, Arianna Podesta, stated, "We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming," adding that Bulgarian authorities suspect blatant interference by Russia. The plane landed safely, which reflects the growing urgency in the EU's commitment to enhance defense capabilities amidst ongoing threats from Russia and its proxies, according to BBC, India Times, and CBS News.

This incident is not isolated, as similar instances of GPS jamming attributed to Russia have been reported across Europe since its invasion of Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has emphasized the increasing direct threats from Russian electronic warfare tactics and affirmed that measures are being taken to counteract these actions, as per Newsweek and Los Angeles Times.