Russian electronic warfare base linked to GPS jamming across Baltic region

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The Estonian news portal Delfi reports that a covert Russian military installation in the Królewiec region, just east of Poland’s border, is believed to be responsible for GPS interference affecting the Baltic states and the Gulf of Finland.

According to confidential sources, the facility’s primary mission is to monitor satellites and NATO communications, with the goal of undermining allied intelligence operations. Documents obtained by Delfi indicate that the base, located in Pioniersk, is part of Russia’s “Tobol” electronic warfare network.

The Tobol system is described as a network of surveillance, defense and command sites designed both to shield Russian satellite communications and navigation systems from NATO attacks and to disrupt NATO intelligence. The Królewiec facility, which focuses on satellite monitoring, was officially established in 2009 by the Russian Ministry of Defence. Similar installations are located across Russia, including near Moscow, Penza, Cheboksary and in Ulan-Ude, Siberia.

In July, Estonian authorities detected new jamming equipment near the eastern border by Narva and along the Narew Gulf coast. Experts believe these measures are intended to protect Russian facilities from potential Ukrainian drone strikes.

The Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, reports that Russia has been developing navigation jamming technology since the 1980s, initially as a counter to GPS-guided weapons. Those capabilities have since expanded in response to Western military equipment supplied to Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, incidents of GPS interference have increased in countries bordering Russia. Aviation and maritime navigation have been particularly affected, with pilots and ship crews reporting inaccurate or lost positioning data.