Russia Accused of GPS Interference in British Military Flights

Russia has been accused of disrupting GPS signals during hundreds of British military flights, according to a report by The Telegraph. Between January and April 2024, analysis of Flight Radar data revealed that British military aircraft, conducting 1,467 flights over Eastern Europe and the Middle East, encountered GPS disruptions on 142 occasions. This interference affected 60 flights multiple times.

Specifically, flights over the eastern Mediterranean saw disruption rates rise to 40%, possibly due to measures by Israel aimed at defending against GPS-guided weaponry potentially deployed by groups like Hamas.

The Telegraph noted that Russia has a GPS jamming station located in the Kaliningrad region, an enclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, who experienced GPS disruption firsthand during a flight earlier in the year, characterized The Telegraph’s report as evidence of Russia’s disregard for international norms and Western interests.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reports of GPS navigation issues in Europe have been prevalent, particularly around the Kaliningrad region.