NATO takes the jamming of GPS signals 'very seriously' and the alliance is working 'day and night' to prevent that jamming, to ensure "they will not do it again", NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday (September 2), in Luxembourg.

The GPS system of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's airplane was jammed while en route on Sunday to Bulgaria, an EU spokesperson said on Monday (September 1), adding that Russian interference was suspected.

The Russian government did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

In a statement, Bulgaria's government said the GPS signal was lost as von der Leyen's plane approached the southern city of Plovdiv, prompting air traffic controllers to switch to ground-based navigation systems to ensure a safe landing.

It said von der Leyen had been travelling on a plane chartered by the European Commission.

Last year Estonia accused Russia of jamming GPS navigation devices in airspace above the Baltic states. Finnair had to divert two flights back to Helsinki after GPS interference prevented their approach to Tartu in eastern Estonia.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG (SEPTEMBER 2, 2025) (NATO TV - Access all)

1. NATO'S SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE, LUXEMBOURG PRIME MINISTER LUC FRIEDEN AND DEFENCE MINISTER, YURIKO BACKES, DURING PRESS CONFERENCE / RUTTE DURING PRESS CONFERENCE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO'S SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"It is taking very seriously (jamming of GPS signals) and thank you for the question. And this is exactly why NATO is stepping up when it comes to hybrid, cyber, etc. And we have agreed on policies there to really be more effective in this area. I always hated the word hybrid because it sounds so cuddly, but hybrid is exactly this- jamming commercial airplanes with potentially disastrous effects."

3. RUTTE, FRIEDEN AND YURIKO DURING PRESS CONFERENCE

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO'S SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"I am not saying that we have completely cracked it and solved this altogether. But to your question, I can assure you that we are working day and night to counter this, to prevent it and to make sure that they will not do it again."

5. RUTTE SHAKING HANDS WITH FRIEDEN AND BACKES