Russian GPS Jamming Poses Risk to Civil Shipping in the Baltic Sea

Russia’s use of GPS jamming and spoofing in the eastern Baltic Sea has created navigation hazards for civilian vessels.

According to a report by Onet cited by DefenseRomania, the interference has led to vessels disappearing from radar and experiencing navigational disruptions, raising concerns among Baltic Sea nations.

Research by Polish GNSS specialists suggests the jamming sources may be mobile — mounted on ships — rather than on fixed installations, as previously assumed.

This mobility makes detecting and countering the jamming more difficult and resource-intensive.

Reports also indicate that ships’ AIS (Automatic Identification System) signals have been transmitting false positions or disappearing entirely.

Regional officials see such activity as posing serious risks to maritime safety and as part of a broader hybrid strategy intended to destabilize the region.

“The Russians are jamming GPS signals and using spoofing methods to transmit false information about the location of ships. These actions can be viewed as a form of harassment,” Ilja Iljin, Deputy Commander of the Finnish Coast Guard in the Gulf of Finland, stated.

Experts have called for stronger maritime security measures and improved coordination among Baltic states to counter the threat.

There is also discussion about involving international organizations to monitor and respond to such incidents.

“We are facing electromagnetic interference — signal spoofing and distortion of the GPS system. It doesn’t happen daily, but we face issues almost every week,” Gheorghita Vlad, Chief of Defense Staff of Romania, reported.

Militarnyi previously reported that General Vlad had warned of ongoing threats from Russia, including frequent GPS spoofing targeting Romania.

According to him, Romania regularly faces spoofing of GPS signals — such attacks are recorded weekly.