Sweden has reported a sharp rise in GPS interference across the Baltic region, attributing the disruption to Russian activity. On September 4, 2025, the Swedish Transport Agency said it received near-daily reports of GPS problems from aircraft operating over the Baltic Sea. The agency documented 733 incidents this year, compared with 495 in 2024 and only 55 in 2023, underscoring what officials called deliberate interference originating from Russian territory. The Swedish government now plans to file a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Civil aviation and high-profile incidents
Officials warned that the surge in GPS disruption poses significant risks to civilian air travel, despite the availability of backup navigation systems. Concerns intensified after August 31, when GPS signals on board the aircraft of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were jammed as she approached Plovdiv airport in Bulgaria. Local experts expressed confidence that Russia was behind the interference, raising alarm over threats to high-level diplomatic flights.
EU and NATO measures to counter jamming
European leaders are taking steps to mitigate the impact of the disruptions. On September 1, EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius announced that the bloc will deploy additional satellites in low Earth orbit to improve detection and resilience against GPS jamming. EU transport spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen confirmed that incidents of jamming and spoofing have become widespread across the eastern flank of Europe. In June, 13 EU member states sent a joint letter urging the European Commission to treat the problem as a priority. According to the Institute for the Study of War, regulators in Estonia reported that 85% of flights experience interference, while Baltic states, Finland, Poland and Sweden have observed a growing number of Russian electronic warfare systems near their borders.
Alternative navigation systems and global calls
To reduce reliance on GPS, EU aviation authorities are working to integrate additional tools such as inertial navigation systems, barometric sensors, paper maps and visual references. NATO is also investing in modern GNSS receivers equipped with AIM+ technology, which can neutralize interference and detect spoofing in real time. The Galileo OSNMA authentication system further strengthens protection by verifying signal authenticity. Meanwhile, both the EU and the United Nations have urged Russia to cease jamming GPS communications, warning that interference threatens civilian aviation safety and international security. Despite these appeals, analysts caution that such practices are likely to continue under Moscow’s current leadership.
