Russian Satellites Suspected of GPS Jamming Across Europe, Canada

A network of Russian satellites is suspected of causing dozens of GPS signal disruptions across Europe, Greenland, and Canada since 2019, according to a new study by American researchers. This discovery emerges just days after a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded in the port of Constanța, Romania, an incident that experts suggest might have been caused by a loss of navigation signal.

Until now, most GPS jamming incidents were attributed to ground-based systems or aircraft. However, the new research, led by Todd E. Humphreys, director of the University of Texas at Austin's Radionavigation Laboratory, points to a potential space-based origin. The study identified 75 distinct days of large-scale GPS interference, with disruptions typically lasting between three and five seconds and occurring simultaneously across the affected regions.

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The affected ground-based receivers span such a large geographic area that no single ground or airborne source could reach them all; hence the hypothesis of a space origin.

"The affected ground-based receivers span such a large geographic area that no single ground or airborne source could reach them all; hence the hypothesis of a space origin," the study's authors explained. Analysis indicates that most incidents occurred during standard weekday working hours, suggesting human involvement rather than natural phenomena. The researchers noted that while they cannot definitively prove the interference is deliberate, such an action would represent a significant escalation in electronic warfare.

By correlating the timing of these disruptions with the positions of satellites in orbit, researchers concluded that a small network of Russian satellites in Molniya orbits, also known as "Lightning" orbits, is the likely source. Russia uses these orbits for military and communication satellites requiring extensive coverage in northern regions. Moscow has consistently denied conducting GPS jamming operations. The potential link to the Constanța drone incident highlights growing concerns about the disruption of satellite navigation systems near NATO borders.

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If it is deliberate, it heralds a qualitative escalation of GNSS interference.