NEW DELHI: A British government spokesman on Thursday confirmed that the Royal Air Force plane transporting the UK defence minister had its signal jammed near Russian territory this week.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while Grant Shapps was returning from Poland, where he had attended a NATO exercise, aboard an RAF jet, according to several reports.
According to the spokesperson, the aircraft encountered “temporary GPS jamming” when flying close to Kaliningrad, located on the Baltic Sea approximately 1,200 kilometers (about 750 miles) west of Moscow.
“It didn’t threaten the safety of the aircraft, and it is not unusual for aircraft to experience GPS jamming near Kaliningrad, which is, of course, Russian territory,” the spokesman said.
According to reports, the GPS signal was interfered with for about 30 minutes, and mobile phones lost their internet connection, prompting the aircraft to resort to alternative methods for location tracking.
Prior to the incident, Shapps observed hundreds of troops participating in the Steadfast Defender exercise, noted as the largest drills conducted by the US-led military alliance since the Cold War.
The UK is one of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters in its ongoing struggle against Russia‘s invasion of its neighboring country since February 2022.
London has pledged over 7 billion euros ($8.9 billion) in military aid to Ukraine and has provided training for tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops.
(with input from agency)
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while Grant Shapps was returning from Poland, where he had attended a NATO exercise, aboard an RAF jet, according to several reports.
According to the spokesperson, the aircraft encountered “temporary GPS jamming” when flying close to Kaliningrad, located on the Baltic Sea approximately 1,200 kilometers (about 750 miles) west of Moscow.
“It didn’t threaten the safety of the aircraft, and it is not unusual for aircraft to experience GPS jamming near Kaliningrad, which is, of course, Russian territory,” the spokesman said.
According to reports, the GPS signal was interfered with for about 30 minutes, and mobile phones lost their internet connection, prompting the aircraft to resort to alternative methods for location tracking.
Prior to the incident, Shapps observed hundreds of troops participating in the Steadfast Defender exercise, noted as the largest drills conducted by the US-led military alliance since the Cold War.
The UK is one of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters in its ongoing struggle against Russia‘s invasion of its neighboring country since February 2022.
London has pledged over 7 billion euros ($8.9 billion) in military aid to Ukraine and has provided training for tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops.
(with input from agency)
