Russian military satellites, designed to detect nuclear explosions are jamming GPS signals across Europe; incidents go back to 2019, new study warns

Scientists have identified a Russian military satellite network as the likely source of mysterious GPS disruptions that have affected large parts of Europe for years, raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of one of the world's most important technologies. According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, dozens of brief but widespread interference events recorded since 2019 appear to have originated from satellites belonging to Russia's EKS early-warning constellation.

The research, published by Professor Todd Humphreys, director of the Radionavigation Laboratory at the University of Texas, analyzed years of data from GPS monitoring stations across Europe. Researchers identified 75 interference incidents since 2019 and determined that at least three of those events could be definitively traced to Russian satellites. Independent navigation specialists at Spanish technology company GMV reached similar conclusions.

According to a report by The New York Times, US Air Force officials were briefed on the findings, and a person familiar with the briefing confirmed that the Russian satellite network was responsible for the interference.

GPS outages across Europe

The disruptions have been recorded across a vast geographic area stretching from Iceland to Italy. Although the outages typically last less than 10 seconds, experts warn that their scale is unprecedented. Unlike conventional GPS jamming, which is usually carried out from the ground, ships or aircraft and affects relatively limited areas, these incidents originated from space, allowing signals to impact multiple countries simultaneously.

Researchers found that the satellites were transmitting signals adjacent to a commonly used GPS frequency. While not operating directly on the GPS channel, the transmissions were powerful enough to bleed into navigation frequencies and temporarily overwhelm weaker GPS signals. Scientists explain the effect being similar to someone shouting loudly in a room, making it impossible to hear a person speaking in a whisper.

Russian early-warning satellites identified

According to experts cited by The New York Times, the satellites involved belong to Russia's EKS constellation, a network designed to detect missile launches and nuclear explosions worldwide. Space historian Bart Hendrickx noted that the first recorded interference event occurred in October 2019, approximately one month after the launch of the first active EKS satellite linked to the phenomenon.

Researchers have not determined whether the interference is intentional. In fact, several experts familiar with Russia's space program expressed skepticism that Moscow would deliberately use its critical early-warning satellites for GPS jamming. Pavel Podvig, director of the Russian Nuclear Forces Project, told The New York Times that he strongly doubts Russia would risk compromising such strategically important spacecraft by assigning them a secondary jamming mission.

Why GPS jamming matters

Even though the interruptions are brief, experts say they expose a significant vulnerability in modern infrastructure. GPS technology is used not only for navigation apps and mapping services but also for synchronizing electrical grids, telecommunications networks, financial transactions and aviation systems.

The concern is amplified by the fact that space-based interference can cover enormous areas. Ramsey Faragher, director of the Royal Institute of Navigation in London, warned that a satellite-based jammer could theoretically disrupt navigation services across an entire continent if used deliberately.

The European Union has acknowledged conducting its own investigation into the incidents, although officials said the results remain classified. An EU spokesperson stated that the bloc is developing systems capable of detecting and locating interference in order to better protect critical navigation services.

While researchers continue to investigate the exact cause and intent behind the transmissions, experts agree that the findings represent an important warning. As Professor Humphreys told The New York Times, the discovery should serve as "a wake-up call" about the fragility of satellite navigation systems that modern societies rely on every day.