BRUSSELS, Belgium — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s aircraft encountered GPS interference over Bulgaria in what is suspected to be a Russian operation, a spokesperson reported on Monday.

The aircraft landed securely at Plovdiv airport, allowing von der Leyen to proceed with her scheduled tour of the European Union countries adjacent to Russia and Belarus, according to commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà.

“It is confirmed that there was interference with the GPS,” stated Podestà. “Bulgarian authorities have conveyed their suspicion that this interference was a deliberate act by Russia.”

Von der Leyen, known for her sharp criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, is embarking on a four-day tour of EU nations that border both Russia and its ally Belarus.

“This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states,” Podestà said.

She said that von der Leyen has seen “firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies.”

“And, of course, the EU will continue to invest into defense spending and in Europe’s readiness even more after this incident,” she said.

Bulgaria released a statement indicating that “the aircraft’s GPS navigation satellite signal was disrupted. Upon the aircraft’s approach to Plovdiv Airport, the GPS signal was lost.”

Von der Leyen was scheduled to address a news conference at 1430 GMT in Romania.

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