Russia Suspected Of GPS Jamming At Ukraine Border In Violation Of OSCE Agreement

By Donald Standeford, Correspondent
Date Published: 2021-04-21 09:00PM UTC
Last Modified: 2021-05-03 11:22PM PST

UKRAINE - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have submitted multiple reports regarding the recent uptick in GPS jamming around the Ukrainian border, presumed to be carried out by Russian forces in the area, and the reports coincide with the recent buildup of Russian forces and military equipment on the border.

OSCE was given a Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine in 2014, during a time Russia was heavily jamming GPS signals in the area. The OSCE monitors whether or not GPS signals are being jammed by sending out long range UAVs to see if there is any signal interference.

One OSCE report said that On April 6th there was interference that prevented the UAV from taking off. OSCE UAVs have been experiencing a vast increase in interference since the month of March, which was the first time interference had been detected since 2014.

The OSCE April 7th report stated "Over the last two months, 62.5 percent of SMM long-range UAV flights encountered GPS signal interference and on 75 percent of the affected flights it occurred more than once."

On April 9th, the OSCE released another report citing continuing problems causing their UAV missions to become aborted, saying that the GPS jamming was in violation of the agreement signed by all parties.

The April 9th report stated "Any GPS signal interference hinders the Mission’s ability to conduct effective monitoring and reporting of the security situation in line with its mandate. Long-range UAVs are an essential part of SMM operations, especially at night and in areas where the Mission’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted".