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NATO is intensifying efforts to counter Russian jamming of civilian flights following an incident where a jet carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lost GPS navigation over Bulgaria. Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the incident, which Bulgarian officials suspect was caused by Russia, is being treated with urgency. Although von der Leyen’s plane landed safely, Rutte warned that the entire continent now faces direct threats from Russia’s escalating tactics.
Rutte emphasized, “The threat from the Russians is increasing every day. Let’s not be naive about it: this might also involve Luxembourg or the Netherlands someday. With Russia’s latest missile technology, the difference between Lithuania on the front line and countries like Luxembourg, The Hague, or Madrid could be just five to 10 minutes.” He added, “We are all on the eastern flank now, whether you live in London or Tallinn.”
According to the Associated Press, nearly 80 incidents across Europe have been linked to Russian disruption. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Western officials report that Moscow and its proxies have carried out numerous attacks and acts of sabotage, including jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or time.
The Kremlin has denied the allegations of jamming von der Leyen’s plane, calling the information “incorrect.”
During a news conference in Luxembourg, Rutte described the jamming as part of Russia’s broader campaign of “hybrid threats,” citing incidents such as severed undersea cables in the Baltic Sea and a cyberattack on Britain’s National Health Service.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov stated that Bulgaria will not investigate the incident, attributing it to side effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine and noting occurrences across Europe.
Rutte stressed, “I have always hated the word ‘hybrid’ because it sounds so cuddly, but hybrid is exactly this jamming of commercial airplanes with potentially disastrous consequences. We are taking this very seriously and working day and night to counter it.”
Lithuania’s former foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed concern on X: “Deeply concerned to hear about the deeply concerning GPS interference that diverted @vonderleyen’s flight. Europe stands united in expression of deep concerns and must commit to ever-deepening measures moving forward.”
NATO has not provided specific details on its preventative plans to combat Russian flight jamming.
Update: September 2, 2025, 12:21 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
