Helsinki, Finland – Finnish airline Finnair has suspended flights to Tartu, Estonia’s second-largest city, after two recent incidents where suspected Russian GPS jamming forced planes to turn back to Helsinki.
The disruptions, attributed to GPS signal interference near Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, highlight growing concerns about electronic warfare threats in Eastern Europe.
While Finnair assures the safety of its operations, emphasizing alternative navigation systems on board, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna considers the jamming a “deliberate action” and a potential “hybrid attack.”
This incident follows reports of similar GPS interference near the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Estonia intends to raise the issue with the EU and NATO, while Estonian authorities collaborate with Finnair to find alternative solutions for Tartu air traffic.
The development coincides with rising tensions between Russia and the West. British intelligence suspects Russia jammed the GPS signal on a plane carrying a UK defense minister last month, and Germany previously accused Russia of similar disruptions in the Baltic region.
Meanwhile, the UK is reportedly preparing to assist Moldova in countering potential “hybrid attacks” from Russia in the lead-up to its presidential election.
