NATO member Estonia summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires in Tallinn on Wednesday over GPS interference affecting the country’s air traffic.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on X (formerly Twitter) that these Russian activities “disrupt our normal life in Estonia and Europe.”
Aircraft use the GPS signal for positional awareness and navigation in airspace.
Tsahkna asserted that the Russian activities represented “a violation of regulations” from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). He said he had conveyed that message to the Russian diplomat.
This signal interference has already affected air traffic. In late April, Finnish airline Finnair announced that it was suspending flights between the Estonian city of Tartu and Finland’s capital, Helsinki. Two Finnair planes had to be diverted due to GPS signal disruptions, preventing a landing in Tartu.
According to local media, the Estonian air traffic authority and the Finnish airline are working on solutions to resume flights from June.
