Finland in contact with NATO, EU over GPS interference from Russia - Foreign Minister

Finland is in contact with NATO and the EU regarding GPS interference from Russia, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said, UNN reports citing Yle.

Details

According to Valtonen, Finland has noticed that GPS interference from Russia has been increasing for a long time. "I'm not going to give an exact time, but it's obvious that the scope of GPS interference during the Russian war of aggression has expanded and also changed its form in many ways," Valtonen says.

According to Valtonen, Finland's message to Russia is clear. "We do not accept it if it affects our ability to work on the part of our regions," the Foreign Minister said.

According to the foreign minister, "Finland is working with EU countries and NATO allies to make this clear to Russia.

"Of course, together we are also trying to find different ways to continue normal life, and on the other hand, also perhaps to counteract this situation," she said.

The country's president and the government's ministerial committee for foreign affairs and security policy also discussed Russian interference with GPS at a meeting today, Friday.

Mr. Valtonen does not comment on why GPS interference has only now come up in the discussion.

"We regularly discuss the security environment and the factors that affect it," she said.

According to the Finnish Foreign Minister, it is not known whether GPS jamming is a deliberate activity of Russia or not.

"The degree of negligence or intentionality is not our main concern," said Valtonen.

However, according to her, the intervention is partly due to the fact that Russia is trying to protect its own critical infrastructure in connection with the aggressive war in Ukraine.

Russia has electronic warfare bases in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea, for example, in Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, and Kronstadt.

Two weeks ago, Yle reported on how observed disturbances have increased in the Gulf of Finland and near the country's eastern border. Pilots have also reported hundreds of cases of GPS interference affecting air traffic in Finland over the past year.

According to Valtonen, GPS interference may affect civil aviation, but there is no particular cause for concern for citizens. The situation is under the control of the authorities, it will be monitored and responded to accordingly, the minister assures.

Addendum

On Monday, Finnair said it would suspend flights to Tartu in Estonia for a month due to GPS interference.

Last week, two of the company's flights were forced to return to Helsinki-Vantaa due to GPS interference that prevented them from flying to Tartu.