Russia has launched a silent war across Europe and North America by quietly attacking GPS signals from space, threatening to plunge the UK and the continent into chaos. Analysis by US researchers has uncovered evidence of dozens of short weekday disruptions in data collected by ground-based satnav monitoring stations over the past eight years.
The incidents involved a sudden, simultaneous decline in signal strength. Each event lasted fewer than 10 seconds yet extended from Spain to Poland and across the Atlantic to Canada, indicating the interference originated from space rather than a terrestrial jammer.
The revealing disruptions consistently appeared in a narrow band of radio spectrum where GPS transmits and concentrated on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during working hours, according to a report by Gizmodo. This is a telltale sign that the attacks are scheduled testing rather than random interference, according to a research team headed by Todd Humphreys at the University of Texas at Austin.
Russian Satellite Kosmos 2546 Identified as Key Suspect in Space-Based GPS Jamming
The team examined years of data from ground-based satnav monitoring stations and identified 75 instances between January 2019 and April 2026. By calculating the source's altitude at 750 miles or more and comparing satellite locations, the team identified the probable suspect as Kosmos 2546, part of Russia's early-warning system designed to detect ballistic missile launches. At least one satellite from that constellation was positioned above the horizon during every documented incident, the study reports.
To avoid detection, the interference appeared slightly offset from the precise GPS frequency — close enough to demonstrate capability, yet not so targeted as to cause widespread disruption. Researchers also identified a second, lower-frequency burst overlapping with China's BeiDou navigation signals, strengthening suspicions that this represents a periodic systems check rather than an unintended incident.
In the event of a conflict, they caution, simply dialing in to the exact GPS frequency could render the impact significantly more devastating. The findings, submitted to NAVIGATION, the journal of the Institute of Navigation, are yet to undergo peer review.
Why Modern Global Economies Face a Growing Threat from Satellite Signal Interference
Nevertheless, they highlight a mounting concern for governments, airlines, shipping companies, energy operators, and everyday drivers: modern economies are profoundly dependent on satellite timing and positioning. Even brief, targeted disruptions can trigger chaos across navigation systems, precision agriculture, stock exchanges, and power grids. While most critical services maintain backup systems, the study shows how space-based signals are particularly vulnerable to deliberate interference.
Russia has long channelled investment into electronic warfare, with GPS jamming from ground stations having been documented near conflict zones. What sets this apart, the authors contend, is the apparent deployment of satellites to project interference across continental distances in short, difficult-to-trace bursts — a capability carrying unmistakable military significance.
Mitigating Cyber Security Risks: Experts Call for Robust Backup Systems Against Electronic Warfare
There is no indication that recent incidents have caused significant disruption to the general public, and smartphones and aircraft rely on multiple satellite navigation constellations and safety backups to maintain their services. Nevertheless, the pattern of workday tests suggests a capability that could be ramped up to far more aggressive levels should tensions rise. Researchers have stressed that ongoing monitoring is vital and are calling for resilience measures to be put in place, ranging from improved interference detection to preserving non-space-based navigation and timing backups.
