During the Christmas holiday, Sweden and several other countries around the Baltic Sea were affected by a major GPS disturbance, SVT reported earlier in January. Navigation for air and sea traffic was knocked out in southern Sweden, in what was the most extensive disruption recorded so far around the Baltic Sea.
Now SVT reports that the disturbances have continued even after the turn of the year. Last Wednesday, an airplane over Kristianstad was hit by a disturbance in its GPS system.
Russia is suspected of being behind the incidents, which were mainly recorded at night in southern Sweden and in the southeastern parts of the Baltic Sea.
The disturbances shall have begun at the same time as the Russian Baltic Sea Navy announced that it had begun a telewarfare exercise aimed at disrupting “enemy navigation and telecommunications”. According to the Military Intelligence and Security Service, Must, the events risk leading to accidents.
– I think it is an example of a hybrid activity and their purpose is to create uncertainty. You can use it for influence and to create division in societies and between nations, says Thomas Nilsson, head of Must, to SVT.
The security police and The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority, LFV, has received several reports about the events. LFV says that they are following developments and that the disruptions have not yet affected flight safety.
– This affects the aircraft’s ability to navigate precisely, but there are a number of different backup systems on which they do just fine, says Petter Eklund, director of En Route at LFV, to the television channel.