German magazine Spiegel revealed on Wednesday that a Luxembourg airline was operating the flight carrying EU leader Ursula von der Leyen when it was targeted by a severe GPS jamming attack.

After a flight carrying EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced significant GPS jamming on Sunday, the German magazine Spiegel reported on Wednesday that the aircraft belonged to the Luxembourg airline LuxAviation. Initial reports suggest the GPS interference was caused by a suspected Russian attack.

President von der Leyen was on a scheduled one-hour flight from Warsaw to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to visit a weapons factory with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. During the short journey, the GPS interference intensified to a degree that the crew was forced to navigate using alternative instruments and paper maps. The disruption extended the flight by an hour, though the aircraft ultimately landed without further incident.

Speculation about Russian involvement arose immediately. A European Commission spokesperson later stated that Bulgarian authorities had identified "clear indications" pointing to Russia.

Such GPS jamming is not uncommon, particularly in the region around the Black Sea. While these disruptions can pose navigational challenges, commercial aircraft are equipped with backup systems to ensure safety in these scenarios.

Commenting on the incident during a visit to Luxembourg, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that such events are "precisely the reason" the alliance is intensifying its efforts against hybrid and cyber attacks. Rutte confirmed that NATO has agreed on measures to respond more efficiently to such acts, adding, "I can assure you, we are working day and night to counter it, to prevent it, and to make sure that they don't do it again."

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident.