Russian GPS interference has become a pressing issue, causing disruptions in numerous UK flights. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, there has been an increasing rate of interference with GPS positioning signals. UK aviation companies have reported instances of both signal spoofing and jamming, leading to thousands of affected flights. The Sun recently shed light on this matter, publishing an exposé on the 21st of April.
In collaboration with gpsjam.org, The Sun has worked to analyze and correlate flight data with known instances of GPS signal disruption. While gpsjam.org could not definitively attribute every incident to Russian jamming, they did note that areas where a significant number of aircraft reported low navigation accuracy aligned with areas of known and suspected jamming. These areas primarily encompass locations under Russian control, such as Kaliningrad, Transdnistrovia, and the eastern Mediterranean near the Syrian coast, extending west to Cyprus and south along the Israeli coast.
According to The Sun’s report, between August 2023 and the end of March 2024, approximately 46,000 aircraft encountered satellite navigation problems over the Baltic Sea. This included notable airlines like Ryan Air and Wizz Air, with 2,300 and 1,300 affected flights respectively. Even British Airways experienced disruptions, with at least 80 flights impacted during this period.
It is important to note that all types of aircraft are equally affected by this interference, not only civilian ones. The Sun shared an incident in which one of their reporters was flying over northern Poland on an RAF flight with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in March when the aircraft’s GPS was jammed due to Russia’s nearby Kaliningrad exclave.
While the focus has primarily been on the impact on air travel, it is worth highlighting that ground travel has also been affected by Russian GPS interference. The article highlights a personal experience of encountering such interference while driving through southwestern Ukraine in February of 2022. During this journey, the GPS system began to display the vehicle’s location as much closer to Belarus, illustrating the widespread effects of this interference.
The issue of Russian GPS interference has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only air travel but also ground transportation. The disruption caused by signal spoofing and jamming poses significant challenges to safety and efficiency in the affected regions. As this interference continues to persist, it is crucial for governments and relevant authorities to address this issue and find effective solutions to mitigate its impact.
