A study published in May 2026 identified that Russian satellites have been dropping GPS signals in the territory of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries. The paper Chasing Lighting (Lightning Hunting, in free translation) concludes that there were 75 days of disturbances of this type in European and North American countries from January 1, 2019 to May 4, 2026. Read the (PDF – 3 MB).
Todd Humphreys, main author of the study, which is still in the review phase, states that the action of the Russian satellites is not accidental. To the said that the temporal pattern of interference – concentrated from Tuesday to Thursday, always during European business hours – does not match a random hardware failure.
“I am convinced that it is deliberate jamming”said Humphreys in an interview published this Saturday (May 13, 2026). The term refers precisely to intentional interference that aims to block or interrupt wireless communications, such as Wi-Fi, GPS or cell phone signals. It is done with devices called jammers.
According to Humphreys, to cause real damage, Russia could calibrate the signal to match the GPS frequency and keep it active continuously. However, the country would be promoting interference at 2 MHz lasting a few seconds. For him, this action allows us to verify that the system works, but does not reveal its full destructive potential.
“If the signals were calibrated to exactly match the GPS center frequency and transmitted continuously, the impact on aviation, maritime navigation, banking systems and electrical grids would represent a massive escalation in electronic warfare.”the researcher said about the Russian strategy.
NATO RESPONSE
The organization does not yet have a clear doctrine for electromagnetic attacks that could represent an act of war.
Russia’s cyberattacks against Estonia in 2007, for example, were classified as hybrid warfare rather than direct military aggression.
Nas the International Telecommunications Union is the competent institution to make decisions on the subject.
