Putin is causing chaos in Europe by jamming GPS on flights and ships with top-secret electronic weapons, military chief has warned
VLADIMIR Putin is using a top-secret electronic warfare system to cause chaos in Europe, a military chief has warned.
The weapon reportedly blocks GPS technology on flights and ships on the country's eastern flank NATOresulting in serious disruption.
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An increase in disruption of the GPS guidance system for air and sea traffic has been observed Finlandthe Baltic countries and Poland, Estonian military chief Martin Harem told the newspaper Telegraph.
“What we have seen is a malfunctioning GPS for ships and air traffic,” he said.
“And we really don't know if they are [Russia] want to achieve something or just practice and test their equipment.”
He added: “But absolutely, no one should behave like this, especially when you are at war with a neighboring country.”
Estonia is the first NATO country to confront the Kremlin about the disruption.
The electronic warfare system would be based in Kaliningrad Putin recently visited in a chilling mockery of the West.
It is a Russian enclave, wedged between Lithuania and Poland, that was annexed by Germany in 1945 – and had been a strategic point for the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Experts fear that in the event of a war against NATO, Putin would start the attack from Kaliningrad.
According to Western intelligence reports, the fixed jamming system is called Tobol – which resembles a huge dish with an antenna.
Analysts have identified at least seven Tobol complexes in Russia.
The secret weapon broadcasts signals on the same frequency as the satellite, preventing connected devices from receiving the legitimate signal, the channel reports WashingtonPost.
Electronic warfare expert Dr Thomas Withington said the dish could be aimed to disrupt GPS signals in multiple directions – which could be crucial in protecting both Kaliningrad and Russia from possible incoming missiles.
He argued that the system is quite defensive in nature and is used as an “invisible” shield against NATO's arsenal of satellite-guided missile systems.
“This may surprise some people, but I think it is ostensibly defensive,” he told The Telegraph.
“The Russian military is very concerned about the weapons of the global navigation satellite system.”
Currently, however, the secret weapon is being used against commercial aircraft and maritime vessels.
Recently there have been reports of planes suddenly veering off tracking sites – likely because their GPS was disrupted.
Experts warned this could cause serious damage to shipping as they could collide because they could not see each other on navigation systems.
Dr. Withington labeled the Russians' actions as “highly irresponsible”.
“It affects the safety of navigation and deteriorates the safety of navigation,” he said.
'The good news is that planes and ships have other means of navigation.
“It's obviously a cause for concern if those systems are not available… so they are a very valid argument that what the Russians are doing is very irresponsible from a navigational perspective.”
It comes as the The chances of World War III continue to rise following growing concerns about the escalation of regional wars.
People fear that Putin's invasion of Ukraine could see Russian forces move beyond Ukrainian borders to launch attacks on Europe, forcing NATO to join the war.
Putin has made dozens of threats to the West since his invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago.
And recently, a leaked military report revealed what the top brass of the Kremlin might be roadmap to bring the West to the brink of collapse World War 3 – and it starts in weeks.
The secret documents describe the despot's possible “road to conflict”, which will culminate in the summer of 2025, on “Day NATO And Russian soldiers will face each other.
To counter the potential threat from Moscow, the Baltic states have agreed to build a series of bunkers on their borders with Russia and Belarus to protect their troops in the event of an attack.
Estonia plans to build 600 concrete bunkers with distribution lines – costing more than £55 million – on its side of the border with Russia.
Each bunker will be designed to accommodate ten military troops for extended periods, and will also be equipped with life support equipment.
According to the Estonian ministry's sketches, the wide range of bunkers will consist of T-shaped trenches, camouflaged by foliage.
These trenches are designed to withstand 152mm projectiles and direct enemy fire.
In addition to the labyrinth of bunkers, “dragon's teeth” tank barriers, barriers, minefields and barbed wire would also be stored for installation if necessary.