The alleged GPS jamming of a plane carrying Ursula von der Leyen by Russia raises concerns about air travel – but were there politics at play?

Jamming can overwhelm an aircraft’s GPS navigation systems, preventing them from working properly, leaving pilots to rely on other ways of finding out where they are.

The EU chief’s aircraft was reportedly forced to land at a Bulgarian airport using ‘paper maps’ – after circling for an hour on Sunday.

The EU said there was GPS jamming but the plane was able to land safely, adding: “We have received information from Bulgarian authorities that they suspect this blatant interference was carried out by Russia.”

But the timing of the allegation of GPS jamming – something reported to be routine along the Russian border – days before a crucial meeting of European leaders to discuss peacekeeping troops for Ukraine raises the question of why now?

Sky News has spoken to a pilot who was flying in the same area as Ms von der Leyen on Sunday, as well as a security expert with extensive knowledge of electronic warfare, to try and work out what happened.

What is GPS jamming?

GPS interference has become a known and widespread issue affecting aircraft over Europe in recent years, particularly since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022.

Experts generally point the finger at Russia, saying that Moscow uses GPS interference to defend against Ukrainian drones but maybe also to cause a nuisance for the West.

Jamming can overwhelm an aircraft’s GPS navigation systems, preventing them from working properly, leaving pilots to rely on other ways of finding out where they are.

Read more: How 1,500 flights a day are reportedly GPS jammed

What happened to Ursula von der Leyen?

According to the Financial Times, the ‘attack’ disabled GPS navigation services at Plovdiv airport in Bulgaria on Sunday afternoon.

The aircraft was deprived of electronic navigational aids as it approached, the newspaper said. It circled the airport for an hour before the pilot decided to manually land the plane, apparently using paper maps.

The area is near a known hotspot for GPS interference and blame was quickly levelled at Russia – a claim that Moscow denied. Russia has denied other instances of GPS jamming in the past.

NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance takes the jamming of GPS signals “very seriously” and is working “day and night” to prevent that jamming, to ensure “they will not do it again”.

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Pilot: Airport is in a known GPS interference area

Sean Fitzpatrick is an experienced pilot who regularly flies through areas known for GPS interference. Indeed, he flew within 40 miles of Plovdiv airport on the same day as Ms Von der Leyen.

He told Sky News: “That airport is in a known GPS interference area. Anyone flying in there would know that there’s a high probability of having GPS issues.”

While GPS jamming is a nuisance, pilots essentially turn off GPS receivers and rely on other aids like the instrument landing system, Sean said.

He added: “When I heard they were pulling out paper charts (to navigate) I’m like, why didn’t they just have an iPad?”

Given that GPS jamming of flights near the Russian border is reported to be routine, Sean was asked if the choice to reveal this particular alleged incident to the media – so close to the coalition of the willing summit this week – was political.

“Based on the information I have, that’s what it looks like… Based on what I’ve seen and the information that’s available to the public and what I know as a professional… I think there’s a bit of politics and sensationalism.”

‘We can make your life difficult’

Dr Thomas Withington, an expert on electronic warfare at the RUSI thinktank, agreed that there could be political angles to what happened.

“I think it’s quite hard to say with any degree of certainty whether her aircraft was deliberately targeted,” he told Sky News, noting that jamming signals are often sent out over a wide area. “But I’m sure that for Mr Putin it’s a very happy coincidence.”

He added: “Politically, what you’re saying is ‘we’re here, we can make your life difficult’.”

He also spoke about the wider impact of GPS jamming – and the possible dangers.

“I think it is important that the news went out there, because I think it indicates that Russia is an irresponsible actor, and these actions are grossly irresponsible, because you’re attempting to create a danger to international air travel, and there is simply no justification for that.”

He referenced the Azerbaijan Airlines flight in December, which was reportedly GPS jammed before it was mistakenly shot down by Russian air defences, killing 38 people.

“If those (Russian) actions cause loss of life, particularly in a NATO nation, I think it should be made very clear that a military response would be considered for that.”

French actor Gerard Depardieu has been summoned to face trial in Paris over allegations of rape and sexual assault against actress Charlotte Arnould.

“I feel relieved,” Ms Arnould wrote on Instagram after receiving the judge’s indictment order.

“The order restores a form of judicial truth. I think I’m having trouble realising how huge this is.”

Ms Arnould’s lawyer, Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, told French outlet Franceinfo she was “extremely satisfied” and said the decision was a “moment of judicial truth in this case”.

In 2018, prosecutors in Paris opened a preliminary investigation after Ms Arnould accused Depardieu of raping her at his home. He has denied wrongdoing.

“The acts of rape and sexual assault have been acknowledged,” Ms Arnould said. “Now, we await the next steps.”

Last year, prosecutors submitted a request for the case to proceed to trial.

Earlier this year, Depardieu was convicted of sexually assaulting two women on a film set and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence.

The 76-year-old was convicted of groping a 34-year-old assistant and a 54-year-old woman responsible for decorating the set during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021.

The court ordered his name to be listed in the national sex offender database.

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Depardieu, one of the most prominent figures in French cinema for decades, told the court his career includes more than 250 films.

In 1991, he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac.

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In recent years, Depardieu has been accused of misconduct, either publicly or in formal complaints, by more than 20 women.

So far, only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court, with other cases dropped over a lack of evidence or an expired statute of limitations.

At least seven people have been killed, parliament buildings have been set alight and more than 1,000 people have been arrested as anti-government protests sweep across Indonesia. 

The unrest began in Jakarta, the country’s capital, more than a week ago – but has grown into wider demonstrations in at least 32 of Indonesia‘s 38 provinces, according to the country’s home minister.

Many of the protests turned violent after the death of Affan Kurniawan. The 21-year-old was trying to deliver food when he was caught up in a clash between police and protesters in Jakarta.

Now, many Indonesians are calling for a list of 25 demands from the government, including the end of police brutality and ensuring decent wages for the public. The hashtag #ResetIndonesia is filling social media, with many users adding pink and green colours to their profile pictures in response to the protests.

Here is everything you need to know.

What sparked the protests?

Public outrage grew when it emerged that all 580 members of the country’s House of Representatives receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (approximately £2,270), in addition to their salaries.

The benefit, introduced last year, is nearly 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage. Critics have argued it is not only excessive but also insensitive during a time of rising cost of living, taxes and unemployment.

Protests also targeted what demonstrators called “corrupt elites” within the government and policies that, according to one student-led group, benefit conglomerates and the military.

A statement by the group, called Gejayan Memanggil, appeared to reference the growing role of the military in civilian life under President Prabowo Subianto, who is a former military general.

On 25 August, hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Jakarta surrounding the parliament building. Witnesses claimed that some tried to get inside.

Others, dressed in dark clothing, threw rocks and set off fireworks at riot police, who fired tear gas and used a water cannon to try and push back the crowd. Officials did not provide details of damage, any casualties or arrests.

Violent escalation

Violence between the two sides escalated after the death of Mr Kurniawan, who was reportedly hit by an armoured police vehicle, which sped through a crowd of protesters on Thursday 28 September.

The following day clashes between riot police and protesters erupted in multiple cities across the country, including in Medan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Malang, Bengkulu, Pekanbaru and Manokwari in the eastern Papua region.

In the city of Makassar on Sulawesi island, at least three people died, and five others were injured after a local parliament building was set on fire.

Protesters also stormed the regional police headquarters in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, after destroying fences and torching vehicles.

Indonesian security forces used tear gas and water cannons against the protesters, who hit back with fireworks and wooden clubs.

The violent scenes emerging from the country led to TikTok voluntarily suspending its feature for users to go live, citing measures to keep the platform a safe and civil space.

Senior minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Monday that at least eight people had died in the clashes. Jakata’s health office said 469 were injured, including 97 who needed hospital treatment.

At least 1,240 protesters were arrested after five days of demonstrations in the capital, with city officials reporting $3.4m (£2.5m) in damage.

‘Doxxing’ of political figures

Certain Indonesian officials became the targets of social media “doxxing” – the searching and publishing of private information with malicious intent – which revealed their addresses and led to the looting of their homes.

One of those was finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, whose home was broken into after a deep-fake video of her circulated where she said teachers were a burden. Ms Indrawati was not at the property at the time.

The home of politician Ahmad Sahroni was also looted after he said calls to dissolve parliament over the financial benefit were being made by the “stupidest people in the world”.

What has the government said?

When visiting some of those injured during the violence, Mr Prabowo said the unrest was being fuelled by “rioters, not protesters,” and accused the groups who had organised the action of trying to destabilise the nation.

He also cancelled a high-profile trip to China to attend a “Victory Day” parade alongside other world leaders to focus on ending the protests.

It represents the most significant challenge yet to the president’s government, which has faced little political opposition since taking office nearly a year ago.

In a rare concession, Mr Prabowo told a televised news conference on 31 August that the government would cut politicians’ perks and privileges, including the housing allowance that caused the demonstrations.

He also said police were investigating seven officers linked to the death of Mr Kurniawan, but warned that security forces would act firmly to control law and order.

Is there an end in sight?

Despite concessions from the government, demonstrations across the country have continued.

Groups of student protesters gathered in Jakarta on 1 September, as well as in Indonesia’s cultural hub of Yogyakarta, and the cities of Bandung and Makassar, the site of the weekend’s worst violence.

“The president’s statement did not accommodate demands from students and civil society,” Syamry, the leader of a student group from Makassar State University, said.

They said students also had other, deeper demands, such as comprehensive police reform.

Tensions remained high on Tuesday as police fired tear gas into crowds of protesters near the campuses of the Islamic University of Bandung – also known as UNISBA – and nearby Pasundan University, according to two student groups at the two institutions.

Police official Hendra Rochmawan said authorities did not enter the campuses but had tried to break up crowds of non-student protesters seeking protection within the grounds, as crowds blocked roads in the area.

International rights groups have criticised the response of security officials, with the United Nations calling for rights violations to be investigated.

But the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch said authorities “acted irresponsibly by treating the protests as acts of treason or terrorism”.