Russia accused of jamming GPS instruments on EU official’s plane

Arianna Podestà, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, said in a Monday statement that Russia recently committed a cyberattack on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane. Podestà said the aircraft began to experience interference with its GPS navigational systems while in flight. That interference was the result of what Podestà characterized as blatant interference by Russia, citing unspecified evidence gathered by Bulgarian authorities. The aircraft landed safely, according to Podestà.

Has Russia commented on the allegations? The Financial Times was the first media outlet to report the allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told the outlet that “your information is incorrect,” according to The Financial Times.

What was the EU Commission president doing during the attack? Von Der Leyen has a fierce critic of both Russia's war with Ukraine and of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. She is currently on a planned tour of EU nations bordering Russia and Belarus.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on whether Russia is winning the war on Ukraine.