Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has reacted to the recent cases of GPS jamming on Bornholm, which are believed to be caused by Russia. At a press conference on the island on Friday, Frederiksen stated, “It is quite serious,” and emphasized that both the authorities and the government take the situation seriously.
According to the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE), there is a high probability that Russia is behind the jamming, which has resulted in hours-long disruptions of GPS signals on Bornholm. FE’s threat assessment from May 24 indicates that it is very likely that Russia is responsible for these incidents. The disruptions have had concrete consequences in the past, including an incident in April where a passenger plane on its way to Estonia had to abandon landing due to GPS disturbances and instead turn back.
André Ken Jakobsson, a researcher in hybrid warfare at the University of Southern Denmark, stated to Information that the jamming is likely a form of pressure from the Russian side in relation to Denmark’s support for Ukraine. “My interpretation is that it is closely related to how much Denmark helps in Ukraine and wants to continue doing so. Therefore, the Russians are pressuring us on quite a few levels now,” Jakobsson said.
However, the Danish Transport Authority has assured in a written response to Ritzau that the GPS jamming will not have consequences for air traffic over Bornholm. Prior to the People’s Meeting on Bornholm, a military researcher assessed to DR that there could very well be hybrid attacks in connection with the event.