GPS Jamming identified Along Ukraine Border Before Russian Invasion – HawkEye360 Activity

Massive GPS interference was present along the Ukraine-Belarus border just before the beginning of the Russian invasion in February. HawkEye 360 reported the activity on March 4  in the north of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. This activity was revealed as the display of the electric warfare strategy integrated into the Russian Military. The purpose of the warfare strategy was to lower Ukraine’s self-defense capacity.

John Serafini, CEO of HAwkEye360 reported via email to the Geospatial world. "The Russians are using the newest electronic warfare strategies in this modern conflict. This is an example of a strategy used by Russian forces to lessen the efficiency of space-based assets like the American Global Positioning System. Using our signal detection constellation and processing tools, we can detect GPS jamming as one aspect.”

Several hundred million of square kilometers radio frequency signals can easily be detected with the HawkEye360 advanced satellite system.

GPS signals inspection found the frequent and increased prevalence of GPS interference within the previous four months around Ukraine. Certainly, researchers revealed that Luhansk and Donetsk territories under the Pro-Russian separatist forces were more affected by GPS interference.

“We, soon, recognized the value of GPS interference signals and started collecting them. Since these signals have become crucial in monitoring human activity, we constantly gather these signals and radio frequency data around Eastern Europe.” Serafini reported further.   

According to the open-source information, several Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were also found active in the area. However, those had interfered with the broken GPS connections.

The Jamming activity started much earlier

As reported by Pentagon authorities, Local Russian jamming of GPS in Ukraine was also identified by the US forces in that area. However, it did not disrupt the US assistance operations. Another report by Breaking Defense revealed that US reconnaissance aircraft also detected jamming of signals but it did not affect the aircraft missions.

Earlier in April 2021, a European organization responsible for security and cooperation in Ukraine also notified the GPS signal jamming there.

On 6^th April, jamming activity affected Stepanivka (base under government supervision), 54 Kilometers north of Donetsk. A log range Unnamed Aerial vehicle (UAV) SMM could not take off from the base due to GPS signals jamming. Since October 2014, it was the first time that Long-range UAVs were unable to take off due to wider GPS interference. OCSE told in a media statement on the very next day of the incident.  

Further, it was told that frequent and increasing GPS signal jamming was experienced in March 2021. Of course, it affected the GPS receivers near the base Stepanivka (location nearly 25 kilometers northwest of the contact line) leading to the failures in landing and taking off operations.

On April 2021, OCSE again told that GPS jamming continues and resultantly it terminated the missions. Furthermore, it was added that some kind of GPS signal jamming has disrupted the mission’s capacity to track and communicate security matters. SMM operations are usually carried out with long-range UAVs while mission monitoring and communication have interfered in the region.  

GPS Jamming – A matter in question for Military missions

Though military forces commonly use GPS jamming to secure and conceal the troops, military spaces, and gadgets from the counterattack, it can prove a gauge to assess the military actions in the region. For all that, accidental GPs interference is possible with the multiple instruments working close to the GPs frequency signals. However, intentional GPS interference has increased globally within the previous years. The global prevalence of GPS jamming has been increasing due to low-cost jamming tools, easy installation of the tools, and common availability in the market. Although the use of jamming signals is illegal in the majority of parts of the world, militants and criminals like drug dealers commonly use GPS interference signals to avoid intelligence inspections by authorities.

GPS is common globally and all developed states depend upon GPS to process different services. Air traveling, finance, logistics, communication system, transportation, and several other services can get affected by GPS interference signals.No matter if interference is accidental or intentional, GPS jamming that limits the access of people, ships, vehicles, and aircraft can prove catastrophic for the state and public activities.

A year ago, Herndon (a Virginia-based company) claimed to have the technology that can identify the GPS disruption and track back the location of the GPS jamming operators. The capacity of the technology was assessed in different training sessions. At present, GPS interference signal detecting and geolocating technology are proprietary of the HawkEye360 and available in the RFGeo signal product catalog.