Italy considers hiding state flight paths after jamming of von der Leyen plane

Ursula von der Leyen, with a German Eurofighter Typhoon behind her, gives a press conference in Romania the day after her plane’s GPS was allegedly jammed. Photograph: Eduard Vinatoru/AP

Italy is considering keeping state flights secret after the satellite signal of the aircraft carrying the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, was allegedly jammed by Russia, Italian defence ministry sources said.

Von der Leyen, a fierce critic of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Moscow’s war in Ukraine, was flying to Bulgaria on Sunday when her charter plane lost satellite navigation aids, delaying its arrival in Plovdiv, and reportedly forcing it to circle an airport for an hour.