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EU head’s plane ‘circled for an hour’ after suspected Russian interference

Plane carrying European Commission's Ursula Von der Leyen hit by radar jamming in suspected Russian operation
  • A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was subjected to GPS jamming over Bulgaria.
  • The incident, suspected to be a Russian operation, caused the plane to circle Plovdiv airport for an hour before landing safely.
  • Ms von der Leyen is currently on a tour of EU nations bordering Russia and Belarus and is a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
  • A spokesperson confirmed the GPS jamming, saying that Bulgarian authorities suspect blatant interference by Russia.
  • This event follows a similar suspected Russian jamming of an RAF plane carrying the then-defence secretary Grant Shapps in 2024.
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