GPS Signal Disruptions Are Reported in Various Russian Cities: How and Why?

Several large Russian cities may have experienced significant GPS interruption during the last week, according to new data analysis reported by Wired.

Following Ukraine's long-range drone assaults deep into Russian territory, the interruption in the signal might be used to disable drones that use GPS for navigation, as per experts.

The GPS interference has spread on a scale that has never been witnessed before, as Erik Kannike put it. Kannike is the program manager of the Estonian military intelligence firm SensusQ. "What we're seeing now, since about a week ago, is GPS jamming bubbles covering hundreds if not thousands of kilometers around tactical cities."

First Signs

GPSJam, a monitoring system that tracks issues with the satellite navigation system through data from aircraft, was the first to notice the GPS disruptions.

Since December, there have been more GPS glitches in Saratov, Volgograd, and Penza. All these cities are in eastern Russia and near the Ukraine border.

The GPSJam database only recorded a small amount of interference in Russia on Dec. 5. Most of the disruption was detected in and around Moscow, where the Kremlin has been known to tamper with GPS links for years.

Data collected by GPSJam, however, suggests that the navigation system has been affected in numerous regions since Dec. 11.

Aurora Insight, a wireless data analytics company, also found an uptick in GPS signal levels in the region around earlier of December, suggesting GPS interference may have occurred.

System's Vulnerability

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, only Moscow had GPS interference. In recent months, the database has documented minimal signal interruption across Russia. GPS malfunctions have been reported near Russia's border with Finland.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), referring to all satellite-based navigation systems - are vulnerable to disruption for several reasons.

Jamming weakens radio signals, whereas spoofing creates bogus ones. Jamming may prohibit drones from flying and ruin map applications. Meanwhile, since 2020, hundreds of warships' positions have been faked due to spoofing.

GPS has become an "international utility" as the most used GNSS system. This makes it more "susceptible and likely to be interrupted," said Dana Goward, head of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation that protects key infrastructure. He believes that doing so creates more chaos in many systems.

GPS Outages Tracker

Few large-scale initiatives monitor GPS disturbances, as per reports.

John Wiseman, the engineer who invented GPSJam, claims the system uses ADS-B signals transmitted by aircraft to enable individuals to know their whereabouts and be followed.

GPSJam utilizes ADS-B data from ADS-B Exchange, a network of aviation enthusiasts that monitor flights. Wiseman compiles this data daily to reveal GPS interference.

The GPSJam map indicates potential interference in red hexes, mild interference in yellow, and no interference in green. Wiseman said most red zones are in regions where GPS tampering has been proven.

GPS outages may be tracked from space, too. Aurora Insight, which employs satellites to detect GNSS interruptions, presented Wired with data showing an increase in signal strength in eastern Russia since August.

Increases in GPS signal levels may interfere with certain GPS receivers, the firm claims, but this does not indicate jamming.