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Researchers link mysterious GPS disruptions over Europe to Russian satellites

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Researchers have linked mysterious GPS signal disruptions across Europe since 2019 to Russian satellites.
  • These brief, intermittent signal interruptions, lasting less than 10 seconds, have been observed from Iceland to Italy.
  • While currently causing minimal disruption, scientists are concerned about the potential for significant impact on daily life if these targeted jamming activities escalate.

Mysterious GPS signal disruptions affecting large swathes of Europe since 2019 have been linked to Russian satellites, according to independent research teams from the University of Texas and the Spanish company GMV. The intermittent signal interruptions, each lasting less than 10 seconds, have been detected multiple times a month across the continent, from Iceland to Italy.

That the disruptions are spread over such a large area indicates that they originate from space.

— Bart HendrickxExplaining the geographical scope of the GPS signal disruptions and their likely source.

Researchers analyzed 75 instances of GPS interference, with the first recorded in October 2019, shortly after the launch of Russia's EKS satellite program. In at least three cases, the disruptions were directly attributed to the Russian satellite Cosmos 2546. Experts believe other satellites within the same Russian network may also be responsible, though detailed data is limited.

It went on for just 500 meters, I'm going home.

— Max VerstappenExpressing frustration after a car malfunction during the Monaco Grand Prix.

While the short duration of these jamming events has so far prevented major disruptions to everyday life, scientists express concern. Bart Hendrickx, an expert on the Russian space program, noted that modern navigation systems can compensate for brief outages. However, the highly structured and targeted nature of the signal, unlike random noise typical of jamming, suggests a deliberate and potentially concerning technological capability being tested by Russia.

It went on for just 500 meters, I'm going home.

— Max VerstappenExpressing frustration after a car malfunction during the Monaco Grand Prix.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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