...
By Gabe Whisnant
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
NATO is stepping up efforts to counter Russian jamming of civilian flights after a jet carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen briefly lost GPS navigation over Bulgaria.
Secretary General Mark Rutte said Tuesday the incident, which Bulgarian officials suspect was caused by Russia, is being treated with urgency. While the EU and NATO are separate entities with different sets of member countries, Europe's security is a crucial issue for both.
While von der Leyen's plane landed safely, Rutte cautioned that the entire continent is now under direct threat from Russia's escalating tactics.
Read More on News
...
"The threat from the Russians is increasing every day. Let's not be naive about it: this might also involve one day Luxembourg, it might come to the Netherlands," Rutte said. "With the latest Russian missile technology for example, the difference now between Lithuania on the front line and Luxembourg, The Hague or Madrid is five to 10 minutes. That's the time it takes this missile to reach these parts of Europe."
He added, "We are all on the eastern flank now, whether you live in London or Tallinn."
Why It Matters
The Associated Press has documented nearly 80 incidents across Europe linked to Russian disruption, a campaign Britain's foreign intelligence chief has called "staggeringly reckless." Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Western officials say Moscow and its proxies have carried out dozens of attacks and acts of sabotage, from vandalism and arson to attempted assassinations.
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
The Kremlin has called the information "incorrect" in response to the reported GPS jamming of von der Leyen's plane.
What To Know
During a news conference in Luxembourg with the duchy's prime minister and defense minister, he said the jamming was part of a wider Russian campaign of "hybrid threats." Rutte cited incidents such as severed undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, a foiled plot to kill a German industrialist, and a cyberattack on Britain's National Health Service.
Bulgaria will not investigate the jamming of von der Leyen's plane because "such things happen every day," Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said Tuesday.
He said it was one of the side effects of Russia's war in Ukraine and had occurred across Europe.
What People Are Saying
Rutte said Tuesday, "I have always hated the words hybrid because it sounds so cuddly, but hybrid is exactly this jamming of commercial airplanes, with potentially disastrous effects. It is taken very seriously. 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."
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania's former foreign minister, said in a post to X Monday: "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 the deployment of ever-deepening concerns moving forward."
What Happens Next
Rutte did not elaborate on NATO's preventative plans to combat Russian flight jamming.
Update: 9/2/25, 12:21 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines