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The number of navigation disruptions in air traffic through Russia in northern
Europe has increased sharply in recent years. The English-language Norwegian
online newspaper The Barents Observer writes this based on reports from pilots
and the aviation authorities.
 
Pilots from SAS, Norwegian and Wideroe regularly report that their navigation
systems show deviations in the far north of Europe, around the Barents Sea. In
the Norwegian province of Finnmark, which borders Russia, authorities have
recorded 44 GPS disruptions so far this year.
 
GPS jamming makes it more difficult for airline pilots to determine their
course, which can put them in a dangerous situation. Ships also use GPS and
experience inconvenience from Russian jammers in Scandinavia.
 
The Norwegians see a connection between the increased jamming and the war in
Ukraine, which started two years ago. Oslo points the accusing finger at
Moscow. In 2021 there were a total of 18 days of GPS disruptions in the
region, in 2022 this increased to 122 days and last year to 294 days.
 
Murmansk Oblast is home to Russia's Northern Naval Fleet, which is also
equipped with electronic warfare units known for possessing hackers and
jammers.
 
Norway was one of the twelve founders of NATO in 1949. The two neighboring
countries Sweden and Finland did not become NATO members because they pursued
strict neutrality.
 
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 changed that, both the Finns and the
Swedes no longer wanted to remain outside the military treaty organization due
to the Russian threat.
 
Finland has been a member of NATO since April 4, 2023. On Monday, Hungary
became the last NATO country to vote for Sweden's accession. Now that NATO is
a closed bloc in northern Europe, the Russians may be more actively focused on
disrupting aviation and shipping communications.

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