Russian satellites have been identified as the source of mysterious, brief bursts of GPS interference across Europe. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University found that these signals disrupt receivers simultaneously over vast areas, suggesting an intentional and potentially weaponized threat to global navigation.

The interference patterns were detected on Tuesdays to Thursdays during European business hours, lasting less than 10 seconds but affecting ground stations from Norway to Spain. Analysis points to the source being at least 1,200 kilometers above Earth, narrowing down suspects to a handful of Russian satellites.

While the exact intent remains unclear, the scale and timing suggest it could be more than coincidental. Ground station data revealed 75 days with widespread GPS interference events overlapping with the main signal transmission band used by the US-made GPS satellite constellation and others.

The researchers say they need access to raw radio signal data from the interference source to confirm their findings, a step that might reveal if this is just space-based noise or a deliberate attempt at continental-scale GPS jamming. The implications for navigation and military operations are significant.