Russia has been jamming Global Positioning System (GPS) signals in some of its regions as part of its defensive measures from unknown attacks, and it also affected areas near its border.
GPS signals across most of Estonia, some parts of the Baltic region, and Finland have reportedly been hit by interference recently.It has affected airlines in the process, resulting in pilots using alternate navigation systems.
Russia Jams GPS Signals Affecting Many Areas
Bloomberg reported that Estonia's consumer protection agency said that only air traffic had been affected, and ground signals were still working despite the jamming on GPS signals, which seemed to come from the Leningrad region of Russia.
The Leningrad region, which surrounds St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, shares a border with Estonia. Estonian officials claimed it had been days since the massive GPS signal disruptions hit them.
Estonia's Defense Ministry told Bloomberg that jamming GPS signals is one of Russia's possible measures "to ensure the protection of important facilities within their country."
"In such cases, situations may arise where the jamming of signals also affects the use of GPS in nearby areas," it added. In Finland, the country's air traffic control told the outlet that commercial flights were unaffected.
Drone Attacks Against Russia
The increased efforts of Russia to jam GPS signals come after a slew of drone attacks in recent weeks. According to NBC News, drone attacks in Moscow last week appeared to target the suspected homes of Russian intelligence officers in Moscow.
Despite Russia pointing fingers at Ukraine, Ukrainian officials have denied involvement in the attacks. The perpetrators remained unidentified. It is also unclear what kind of drones were used in the attacks or how they were obtained. Ukraine was known to have used a variety of homemade and Western-manufactured drones in the war.
Citing intelligence documents leaked to the Discord gaming site this year, a previous NBC News said Ukrainian forces have already pursued drone attacks inside Russia and Belarus, despite the US and Western disapproval. The drone assault was reportedly the first on a residential area in Moscow since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing, with the transcontinental country showing aggression against its neighboring country. It has affected innocent people caught in the middle of the war. The United States has already sanctioned Russia for its actions.
It has limited the technology coming into the country as part of its efforts to prevent the development of tech and weapons that Russia used against Ukraine. Disrupting GPS signals in its regions to prevent another drone attack is another effort made by Russia to protect its country and its people.
Before the drone attack last week, authorities in Russia said two drones flew near the Kremlin, but they were shot down. Officials noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not in the building at the time.
