Scientists and U.S. military briefers report that short, widespread disruptions to GPS signals across Europe have been linked to Russian satellite systems, according to multiple outlets citing recent research. The interference events are described as brief—often lasting seconds—and detectable across large geographic areas using ground-based GNSS/GPS receivers. A study described by Ars Technica and others traces patterns in public station data to high-powered interference affecting GPS L1-band signals (centered around 1575.42 MHz), which is used by the U.S. GPS constellation and other GNSS systems. The researchers say the timing and geographic reach of the bursts—observed from countries across Europe and reportedly beyond—indicate the source is high above Earth, consistent with a space-based emitter. The work also identifies frequent occurrences during the weekday work period in Europe. While the reports generally frame the findings as tests or demonstrations of jamming capability amid heightened geopolitical tensions, they do not uniformly conclude intent. Some experts say the data suggest intentional or at least deliberate interference placed near GNSS signals, while others note uncertainty about whether it is being used as an electronic warfare weapon or for other purposes.
Researchers say Russian satellites have jammed GPS across Europe, citing intermittent interference events
Scientists and U.S. military briefers report that short, widespread disruptions to GPS signals across Europe have been linked to Russian satellite systems, according to multiple outlets citing recent...
- Researchers and U.S. military briefers link intermittent GPS/GNSS interference across Europe to Russian satellite activity.
- The reported disruptions are brief, with interference bursts typically lasting seconds.
- Ground-based monitoring identifies events affecting the GPS L1 frequency band around 1575.42 MHz.
- The geographic pattern of simultaneous detections suggests a space-based source at least about 1,200 kilometers above Earth.
- Outlets describe the events as occurring repeatedly since around 2019, with researchers noting uncertainty about the specific intent behind the interference.
New research suggests that Russian satellite systems are at least testing their ability to disrupt global networks.
12 hours agoResearchers say mysterious, seconds-long GPS interference bursts detected across Europe appear to come from Russian EKS early-warning satellites, making this "a rare example of human-made GPS interference coming from space," reports Ars Technica. The signals may be tests of space-based jamming capability, short satellite communications, or something else, but experts say they raise troubling questions about whether GPS disruption could eventually be weaponized on a continental scale. From the report: The discovery came from an investigation detailed in a June 2 preprint paper by Todd Humphreys and his student Zach Clements at The University of Texas at Austin, along with Argyris Krizise at Stanford University in California. By sifting through public data from ground-based stations with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, they identified a pattern of high-powered interference lasting less than 10 seconds each time but simultaneously detectable by ground stations across Europe from Norway to Spain to Poland, and even reaching as far west as Greenland and Canada. By analyzing the ground station data from January 2019 to April 2026, the researchers found 75 days with at least one widespread GNSS interference event overlapping with the GPS L1 frequency band centered on 1575.42 megahertz. That represents the main band used for signal transmission by the US-made GPS satellite constellation and GNSS constellations from other countries. Such interference patterns happened mostly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during business hours in Europe, Humphreys told the YouTube channel Veritasium. Because such "continental-scale" interference was simultaneously affecting GPS receivers across Europe and beyond, Humphreys and his colleagues calculated that the source had to be at least 1,200 kilometers above the Earth. [...] In the Veritasium video, Humphreys speculated that the Russians may have been testing the satellites' GPS interference capabilities only briefly on a neighboring frequency adjacent to the typical GPS band. "And then in the eventual future when there is a hot conflict, they go ahead and tune their transmitter down to the GPS band, but it's much more damaging now that it lies right on that band," he said. Incidentally, the raw data also revealed a second interference burst from the Russian satellites in a lower-frequency band used by China's BeiDou navigation system. "I can no longer say this is accidental with confidence," Humphreys told Veritasium. He also described the Russian satellites' quiet demonstration as a "massive escalation in the electronic warfare background conflict that is going on right now." Richard Bowden, division head of assured and resilient PNT at the multinational technology company GMV in Spain, wrote in a LinkedIn comment: "These signals are, without a doubt, intentional and placed on or around GNSS signals, and have the potential to disrupt legitimate use of GNSS services. But from our side at least, we can't be sure they are intentionally malicious or intended as an EW [electronic warfare] weapon." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
13 hours agoMystery of GPS interference across Europe raises questions about Russian motives.
1 day agoA network of Russian satellites has caused brief disruptions to GPS signals across Europe on perhaps dozens of occasions since 2019, new research suggests.
3 days agoScientists tracking the disruptions claimed that the incidents highlight how space-based technology is becoming a new battleground amid rising geopolitical tensions.
3 days agoScientists and U.S. military briefers have linked short, widespread interference incidents to Russia, revealing vulnerabilities in a technology essential to everyday society.
4 days ago
Melissa Casias, Los Alamos lab worker missing since June 2025, found dead in New Mexico
Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory, is found dead in New Mexico about a year after...
Belmarsh prison officer denies inappropriate relationship with inmate murderer
A 30-year-old prison officer, Michelle Molver, denies having an inappropriate relationship with inmate Kemai Mathurine,...
Aignostics and PanCAN partner to apply AI to multimodal pancreatic cancer data
Aignostics announces a partnership with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) aimed at advancing pancreatic canc...