Interference with GPS signals affecting aviation in the Baltic Sea region has surged significantly since 2023, occurring almost daily, according to Sweden’s Transport Agency, which attributes the disruptions to Russia.
New data from the Transport Agency shows that GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) interference incidents, including GPS, in Swedish airspace have increased from 55 in 2023 to 733 this year as of August 18.
“We’ve conducted long-term analyses and collected data. It is clear that the interference originates from Russian territory,” stated Andreas Holmgren, head of aviation issues at the agency, to AFP.
The interference involves both spoofing (false positioning) and jamming (signal disruption).
Initially, it was confined to the eastern parts of Sweden’s airspace over international waters.
However, it has now “expanded both geographically and in scope, affecting a larger area across both land and sea in Sweden,” Holmgren noted in a statement.
“This is a serious security risk for civil aviation, especially considering the extent, duration, and nature of the interference,” he added.
The jamming also impacts maritime navigation and critical infrastructure relying on GNSS, the agency reported.
In early June, Sweden and five other Baltic Sea nations – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – raised the issue with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, where Russia is a member.
The ICAO Council “expressed grave concern over the situation and urged Russia to fulfill its international obligations and ensure an immediate halt to the interference,” the agency mentioned.
Despite this, the interference “has increased instead in the Baltic Sea region,” it added.
The countries now plan to bring the issue to the ICAO’s general assembly this autumn.
A plane carrying EU chief Ursula von der Leyen experienced GPS jamming while preparing to land in Bulgaria on Monday, with Russia suspected to be involved, according to the European Commission.
The plane landed safely.
The incident occurred as Western powers discuss new aid to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.
