A Spanish military aircraft carrying Defense Minister Margarita Robles experienced a GPS signal “disruption” on Wednesday morning while flying near Russia’s Kaliningrad region en route to Lithuania, the Spanish Ministry of Defense reported.
No further details about the incident were provided.
In addition to Minister Robles, the plane was carrying relatives of Spanish troops who are part of NATO’s new air defense mission on the eastern flank, which began earlier this month after Poland shot down drones that had violated its airspace.
The Spanish contingent, known as Mission Vilkas—“wolf” in Lithuanian—intercepted eight Russian aircraft operating over the Baltic Sea last week, the Spanish Ministry of Defense said in a Wednesday statement.
Robles is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with her Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene during her visit to the Siauliai air base on Wednesday morning, according to the Spanish government agenda, reports REL.
This incident follows a similar case involving European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose plane experienced GPS disruptions while traveling to Bulgaria on August 31.
A European Union spokesperson said Bulgarian authorities suspected Russian interference in that case.
Estonia and Finland have also previously accused Russia of GPS disruptions in the region’s airspace. Russia has denied interfering with communications and satellite networks.
Most modern aircraft are equipped with multiple sensors and positioning sources in addition to GPS, meaning they can still navigate if GPS signals are blocked.
A commander on board Minister Robles’ plane told journalists traveling with her that such incidents are common when flying near Kaliningrad, affecting both civilian and military aircraft. He added that the Spanish aircraft can also navigate using military satellites.
