According to a July 14 report. an unnamed NATO source says a commercial aircraft crash caused by Russian GPS jamming would be treated as a deliberate act of war, not an accident. Polish researchers and other European outlets have traced these jamming signals to facilities in Kaliningrad and Baltiysk. GPS jamming is considered a tool in Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy.
KALININGRAD JULY 17: According to a July 14 report by Euromaidan Press, an unnamed NATO source says a commercial aircraft crash caused by Russian GPS jamming would be treated as a deliberate act of war, not an accident. The remarks point to Kaliningrad as the most likely focus of any NATO retaliation.
Disruptions began intensifying around December 15, 2023, with multiple airlines—including Finnair— suspending flights over Baltic airspace.
Polish researchers and other European outlets have traced these jamming signals to facilities in Kaliningrad and Baltiysk. The same region houses key Russian electronic warfare assets and the Baltic Fleet. The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad is a focal point for GPS jamming activities, with reports of disruptions affecting ships and drones along the Lithuanian coast.
Russian GPS jamming is a tactic used to disrupt or interfere with GPS signals, primarily in the Baltic region and around Kaliningrad. GPS jamming is considered a tool in Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy, aiming to destabilize and create uncertainty in neighboring countries.
NATO’s options may range from increased military support to Ukraine to direct strikes on those installations — if civilian lives are lost. NATO has warned that severe disruptions to commercial aviation due to Russian jamming could trigger military responses. But any such move risks fracturing NATO’s unity, which may be exactly what Putin wants.
