Russia Jammed GPS Signal of Plane Carrying UK Defence Secretary John Healey on May 21

The Russian Federation jammed the GPS signal of a Royal Air Force aircraft carrying British Defence Secretary John Healey. The incident occurred during a flight near the Russian border, as reported by the BBC.

The event took place on Thursday, May 21, as Secretary Healey was returning to the United Kingdom after visiting British troops participating in NATO exercises near the Russian border in Estonia. The aircraft's GPS navigation was rendered inoperable during a three-hour flight, forcing the pilots to use an alternative navigation system. It is currently unknown whether the aircraft with the Defence Secretary was an intentional target of the Russian military, although the government plane's route was easily trackable on public flight monitoring websites.

This incident is not isolated. In 2024, Russians previously jammed the GPS signal of a Royal Air Force aircraft carrying then-UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps. Furthermore, in April, Russian Su-35 and Su-27 fighter jets dangerously intercepted a British Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea. At that time, a Su-35 flew so close that it triggered emergency systems, and another fighter jet passed within six meters of the reconnaissance aircraft's nose six times. The UK Ministry of Defence emphasized that the Rivet Joint aircraft was conducting routine flights to ensure the security of NATO's eastern flank.