Support The Moscow Times!

Norway Says it Proved Russian GPS Interference During NATO Exercises

Claims Russia disrupted signals during war games.

Vadim Savitsky / TASS

Norway has electronic proof that Russian forces disrupted global positioning system (GPS) signals during recent NATO war games, and has demanded an explanation from its eastern neighbour, the Nordic country's defense minister said on Monday.

Both Finland and Norway said in November that Russia may have intentionally disrupted GPS signals before and during Western military exercises, which also affected the navigation of civilian air traffic in the Arctic.

Both Norway and Finland protested to Russia, which dismissed those allegations when they were first made.

"Russia asked (us) to give proof. We gave them the proof," Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen told reporters, adding that this consisted of measurements showing signals had been jammed.

"Russia said 'thank you, we will come back when our experts review that'. To have such an answer from Russia is a positive thing," he said.

"To be a neighbor of Russia you need to be patient."

Asked whether Russia could have targeted Norway intentionally, the minister said: "They were exercising very close to the border and they knew this will affect areas on the other side."

Finland is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation but took part last year as an ally in NATO's largest exercise in decades, involving forces from 31 countries in an area stretching from the Baltic Sea to Iceland. 

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more