Bulgarian officials have refuted claims of Russian interference connected to the GPS disruption experienced by a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Initially, days after the incident, the European Commission had cited Bulgarian authorities, suggesting that the issue stemmed from “blatant interference from Russia.” However, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov stated in parliament that the flight did not experience any prolonged jamming. Despite assertions that no jamming was detected using “ground instruments,” Zhelyazkov acknowledged the possibility of onboard devices being affected. This revelation has led to ongoing speculation regarding the cause of the disruption as analysts consider various factors that could have contributed.
Amidst the unfolding situation, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov denied that Bulgarian authorities provided information to the European Commission about suspicions of Russian interference. He argued that a report submitted to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regarding a conversation between the pilot and air traffic control mentioned “minor issues” with GPS but did not allude to any external interference. Karadjov emphasized the need for EASA to analyze onboard computers for further insights. The plane’s GPS issues arose during its flight from Warsaw to Plovdiv, sparking heightened scrutiny and conflicting narratives between the EU executive and Bulgarian authorities.
Emerging details about the flight include a recording of the pilot discussing GPS issues with air traffic control, coupled with the plane’s flight path revealing it circled Plovdiv Airport before landing. Initial claims, particularly from a Financial Times journalist, suggested that the aircraft spent an hour circling the airport; however, this assertion has been challenged by widely available flight tracking data that indicates a total flight time near the standard duration for the route, contradicting the idea of excessive delays. Additional reports about the pilot resorting to “paper maps” for navigation have also been disproven by Bulgarian officials, who confirmed that a ground-based navigation system had been utilized.
Further analysis of the flight data shows that the aircraft departed an hour late, likely contributing to the misunderstandings regarding the arrival time. While some analysts uphold the possibility of interference such as spoofing or jamming, others argue there is no definitive evidence supporting these claims for the day in question. The ongoing investigation suggests complexities in understanding the factors that could influence GPS functionality aboard the aircraft.
Discussion around the quality of the GPS signal has raised important considerations; Flightradar24 officials reported that the plane’s transponder indicated strong signal quality throughout the journey. The Navigation Integrity Category (NIC) values, which evaluate navigation data quality, consistently ranked high throughout the flight, suggesting that while the GPS signal was functioning correctly, issues were still reported by the pilots. This situation highlights the technical nuances that could lead to operational challenges despite a good signal.
Despite the unique situation involving von der Leyen’s flight, heightened GPS jamming capabilities by Moscow have been acknowledged as part of the broader context since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission noted that such jamming incidents are not uncommon for aircraft in proximity to Eastern European borders, identifying a need for coordinated action within the EU to address these emerging threats. As investigations proceed, the implications of these disruptions hold significant concern for aviation safety within the increasingly tense geopolitical landscape.
