Jamming

The dramatic reports of Russian GPS jamming forcing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s aircraft to navigate using “paper maps” after an hour of circling have been comprehensively debunked by technical analysis, flight data, and official retractions. What initially appeared to be a sophisticated electronic warfare attack on August 31, 2025, has proven to be a case study in how routine aviation incidents can be sensationalized beyond recognition when proper technical verification is bypassed.