Russia has the capability to falsify GPS signals deep into Europe, reaching a radius of up to 450 kilometers (280 miles) from its Kaliningrad exclave, according to a Lithuanian official. This is due to a significant expansion of Russia's electronic warfare infrastructure in the region.
Expansion of Spoofing Capabilities
Darius Kuliesius, deputy head of Lithuania's communications regulator, stated that Russia has increased its GPS spoofing antennae from three in early 2025 to 36 currently. These antennae are based in the heavily militarized territory of Kaliningrad, which is located between NATO members Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic coast.
Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, European nations have frequently accused Russia of electronic interference. However, President Vladimir Putin's government denies these allegations, attributing them to Western smear tactics.
Systemic Provocation
Kuliesius described the interference as having evolved from occasional incidents during the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius to a systemic, permanent, and unending provocation against European security. The Russian embassy in Vilnius did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Moscow has historically denied such accusations.
A map released by the Lithuanian regulator indicates that Russia's GPS falsification could affect Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, most of Poland, parts of Finland, Sweden, Belarus, and the Baltic Sea. The range has reached 450 kilometers, as estimated by analyzing disturbances in aviation surveillance ADS-B transmissions.
Past Incidents
Last year, a Spanish military jet carrying Defense Minister Margarita Robles experienced GPS disturbances near Kaliningrad. Similarly, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was jammed en route to Bulgaria. Estonia and Finland have also blamed Russia for jamming GPS navigation devices in the region's airspace.
Despite these issues, most modern airliners and major airports have alternative navigation tools available when GPS encounters problems.
Impact on Civilian Infrastructure
Kuliesius noted that Lithuania's mobile phone networks near Kaliningrad suffer degraded quality due to interference affecting certain frequencies. Spoofing and jamming activities spike during Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia.
He added that online bus schedules in Klaipeda, a town 50 kilometers from the border with Kaliningrad, stop working during these spikes because they rely on GPS tracking of buses.
