FT: Russian Jamming Forced Von der Leyen's Plane to Land Using Paper Maps

Due to Russian "interference," Ursula von der Leyen's plane was forced to land using paper maps because the GPS signal was jammed.

During landing in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the plane of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was deprived of electronic navigation means, reports the Financial Times. The pilots circled the airport for an hour and then were forced to use paper maps to land.

Three officials familiar with the incident told the FT that they suspect the cause was a Russian jamming operation. "The airport's GPS system was completely shut down. It was definitely interference," said one of the officials.

In recent years, cases of GPS disruption in the Baltic region and in Eastern European countries close to Russia have sharply increased. This affects the operation of planes and ships. EU governments fear that Russia's use of GPS jamming could lead to a major plane crash, as commercial aircraft become virtually "blind" during flight.

After her visit to Plovdiv, Ursula von der Leyen left the city on the same plane without incident.