Finnish expert debunks Kaliningrad 'super-jammer' myth: real GPS threats lie closer

Finnish drone defence expert Mikko Hyppönen says the Earth's curvature shields Finland from the direct effects of Russia's powerful GPS jammer in Kaliningrad. He warns that the real threats to GPS signals come from the St. Petersburg area and vessels operating in the Baltic Sea.

A widely held belief that Russia's GPS jamming station in Kaliningrad poses a direct and dominant threat to Finland and the broader Baltic region is being challenged by a leading Finnish expert. Drone defence specialist Mikko Hyppönen argues that, while the Kaliningrad jammer is powerful and does disrupt aviation and maritime traffic across the Baltic states, Finland itself is largely protected from its direct effects — thanks to the curvature of the Earth.

Hyppönen explains that the jamming signals broadcast from Kaliningrad follow line-of-sight propagation, meaning that at greater distances and over the horizon, the Earth's surface physically blocks much of the interference. For countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which are geographically closer and at lower elevations relative to the transmitter, the disruption is far more pronounced and documented.

Where the real danger lies

According to Hyppönen, Finland faces a different and in some ways more immediate GPS threat — one originating from the St. Petersburg region. Russian jamming infrastructure in and around that area is closer to Finnish territory and can more effectively degrade GPS reliability for civilian and military users alike.

Beyond land-based sources, the expert highlights ships operating in the Baltic Sea as a significant and often underappreciated vector for GPS spoofing and jamming. Vessels equipped with electronic warfare systems can actively interfere with navigation signals across a wide maritime area, creating hazards for both commercial shipping and aircraft flying over the sea.

Baltic aviation disruption continues

The Kaliningrad jammer has been blamed for numerous incidents affecting commercial aviation in the region, with pilots reporting loss of GPS signals and incorrect positional data. Air traffic authorities in Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Poland have all logged interference events in recent years. Despite Hyppönen's reassurances regarding Finland's relative protection, the broader pattern of Russian electronic warfare activity in the region remains a serious concern for NATO allies on the Baltic Sea's eastern and northern shores.