Russia has officially denied allegations that it was behind a cyberattack on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane over the weekend.
Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the press Thursday that such accusations were fake and underscored Europe’s paranoia.
Russia had not previously commented on the allegations leveled by Bulgarian and NATO authorities this week, but the Kremlin did claim that initial reporting on the incident was incorrect.
Ms. Von der Leyen’s trip to Bulgaria was interrupted over the weekend after her plane lost access to its GPS navigation system, forcing pilots to use paper maps to land. No one was injured during the incident.
Shortly after the episode, Bulgarian authorities reported that the GPS signal had been neutralized through “blatant interference” and the Kremlin was the key suspect. Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority said it has noticed a marked increase in similar incidents since Russia began its war with Ukraine in early 2022.
European authorities have recorded an overall increase in jamming and spoofing events over the past three years, especially in countries neighboring Russia. According to an EU report in May, Poland recorded 2,732 incidents in January 2025, compared to 1,908 in October 2024. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania recorded similar increases in jamming and spoofing incidents. ‘
Spoofing is an intentional radio disruption using electronic warfare systems to transmit incorrect GPS information to aircraft. Jamming prevents the transmission of any GPS data.
The jamming of Ms. Von der Leyen’s plane has pushed Europe’s fears about Russian cyberwarfare to the forefront. On Monday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance takes the jamming incidents seriously and is working to counter them.
In addition to ramping up the production of low-orbit satellites used to track interference, other European powers are working on a land-based positioning system to be used in case a plane’s GPS is inoperable.
The system, known as R-Mode, is a collaborative initiative by Denmark, Sweden and Poland that aims to establish a more robust navigation system. The project comes as Russia is intensifying its electronic warfare activities.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.