Russia is suspected of disrupting the satellite signal of a Royal Air Force aircraft carrying UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps, according to government sources and journalists onboard, as reported by Reuters.
The incident occurred on March 13 as the aircraft was returning from Poland to Britain, flying near Russia’s Kaliningrad region. For approximately 30 minutes, the aircraft experienced jamming, rendering GPS signal and internet inaccessible.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the occurrence, stating that it was not uncommon for aircraft to face GPS jamming near Kaliningrad, which falls under Russian territory. The incident, although not posing a safety threat, occurred during the Defence Secretary’s return journey from Poland.
This interference is not isolated, as Russia has faced accusations of jamming GPS signals in neighbouring countries like Finland dating back to the 2010s.
The incident follows Shapps’ announcement regarding the extended deployment of British Sky Saber air defence systems in Poland until the end of 2024. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported similar incidents in late December 2023 and early January 2024 across the Baltics and Poland, potentially linked to Russian electronic warfare operations in Kaliningrad.
