Russia accused of GPS jamming after aircraft disrupted

Estonia and Lithuania person accused Russia of jamming GPS signals successful the Baltic region.

"GPS interference successful Estonian airspace by RF (the Russian Federation) has affected civilian aviation successful our region. In doing truthful Russia violates planetary regulations," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said connected societal media.

Speaking to Estonian radio, Tsahkna claimed this was "a wholly deliberate act" by Moscow.

On Tuesday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also reported an uptick successful Russian GPS interference.

"This is portion of Russia's hostile activities, which person been carried retired before, but present their intensification is being observed," Landsbergis said.

Russia has not commented connected the allegations.

Finnair flights suspended

The comments travel aft Finnish hose Finnair suspended services to the Estonian metropolis of Tartu connected Monday.

It said ongoing GPS disturbances had prevented 2 craft from landing.

"Finnair volition suspend its regular flights to Tartu, Estonia, from April 29 to May 31, truthful that an alternate attack solution that does not necessitate a GPS awesome tin beryllium enactment successful spot astatine Tartu Airport," Finnair said successful a statement.

The hose said it did not cognize the origin of the GPS interference but mentioned an summation successful incidents since 2022, particularly adjacent Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Typically, GPS interference does not impact formation routes oregon formation safety, arsenic pilots are good alert of it and craft person alternate systems successful spot that are utilized erstwhile the GPS awesome is interfered with," Finnair added.

Estonia's Consumer Protection and Technical Regulation Authority deployed specialists to Tartu to analyse the reports of GPS interference astatine the airport.

A spokesperson said connected Tuesday that nary awesome interference had been detected connected the ground, but alternatively it began astatine an altitude of astir 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) into the airspace.

They said this could beryllium a "side effect" of Russia's attempts to jam the GPS signals of Ukrainian drones.

zc/nm (Reuters, dpa)