The war in Ukraine is affecting road freight transport in central and northern Europe, even beyond the borders of the country invaded by Russia. The impact is not through missiles or drones, but via electronic systems that interfere with the GNSS satellite signal, which is essential for tracking commercial vehicles. In addition to disrupting vehicle localisation, the interference can compromise the operation of second-generation smart digital tachographs and other digital services in lorries. A signal outage, for instance, might interrupt the recording of driving times, exposing drivers to possible penalties. In such cases, the driver must immediately print out the tachograph data and note on the printout that the GNSS signal was unavailable due to a likely local interference. If the issue recurs, especially in areas where no interference has been reported, recalibration of the tachograph is advised.
The affected region includes Poland, the Baltic states and Scandinavia. In 2024 alone, these countries reported numerous terrestrial and airborne interferences: 1,200 incidents were recorded in Finland in the first four months of the year (compared to 239 in all of 2023), 1,240 in the Baltic states, 544 in Poland, 800 in Sweden, and 300 in Norway, along with a further 85 reports from Romania, mostly in the Black Sea area. In total, approximately 4,300 reports were filed, prompting thirteen EU governments to write to the European institutions at the beginning of June 2025, urging intervention against interference believed to originate from Russia and Belarus.
In the letter, transport and digital affairs ministers called on Brussels to accelerate the implementation of interference-resistant GNSS services, enhance the overall resilience of critical infrastructure, and strengthen security across Europe. As Lithuanian transport minister Eugenijus Sabutis pointed out, GNSS signal disruptions have a direct impact on strategic sectors such as transport, energy and telecommunications.
The letter outlines two main types of GNSS interference: jamming and spoofing. Jamming involves the deliberate transmission of powerful radio signals on the same frequency as GNSS signals, disrupting or overpowering the weak signals received from satellites, resulting in partial or total loss of satellite navigation functionality. It can be carried out using relatively simple devices operating over limited areas and is also used by criminals to hijack lorries. Spoofing, by contrast, is a more sophisticated attack, typically conducted by states, involving the transmission of false GNSS signals that mimic genuine satellite signals, thereby manipulating navigation systems and potentially leading ships, aircraft or vehicles off course.
The growing number of interference incidents appears to be closely linked to the war in Ukraine, both in terms of timing and location. While European countries point the finger at Russia and Belarus, it is worth noting that Ukraine is also actively engaged in the conflict and that NATO conducts regular military exercises in the Baltic and central-northern European regions. In all cases, the term hybrid warfare is now openly used. This presents a serious challenge at a time when satellite signals are essential for the movement of goods by land, air and sea.
