During the Christmas season, Western infrastructure experienced yet another unexplained failure. Regardless of the identity of the usual suspects, it is crucial for democracies to expeditiously absorb the lessons learned from this incident.

Across Europe, Christmas Day brought a momentary respite from the chaos, filling the air with serenity and happiness. However, this tranquility was abruptly disrupted on the following day when an enigmatic glitch affected the widely utilized GPS satellite positioning system in the Baltic Sea region.

The true perpetrators may forever remain a mystery, although the most plausible explanation points towards Russian involvement. During the autumn of 2023, when three data and energy connections on the Baltic seabed were attacked, both Russian and Chinese vessels happened to be situated directly above the targeted locations. Subsequently, it was discovered that a Chinese ship had accidentally severed a gas pipeline by dragging an anchor across it. Finnish sources held Russia accountable for another assault.

Notwithstanding the situation, the Boxing Day traffic congestion serves as a reminder that aggression has the potential to emerge unexpectedly, at any time, and with the aid of any instrument.

The widespread disruption of GPS signals in Southern Sweden, Northeastern Germany, and substantial portions of Poland on December 26 was evident to pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and individuals utilizing websites like GPSjam.com.

During an ordinary day, the GPS jam map of Europe west of Russia is primarily adorned with green hues, symbolizing minimal GPS interference of 0% to 2%. On rare occasions, a few yellow dots emerge, indicating a slightly elevated interference level ranging from 2% to 10%.Nevertheless, the 26th of December witnessed a substantial expanse of land and water, stretching from Växjö in the north to Stralsund and Neubrandenburg in the west, Łódź in the south, and Białystok in the east, displaying a red hue. This color indicated a GPS interference level surpassing 10%. While GPS phone jamming had affected northern Europe before (specifically northern Norway and Finland), this particular incident stood out as the most severe occurrence thus far.

GPS wifi jamming poses a considerable obstacle for users of Google Maps, Apple Maps, and other location services, making it increasingly difficult to navigate with confidence as the accuracy of directions cannot be guaranteed.

The disruption caused by GPS signal jamming is not limited to inconveniencing ordinary citizens; it also poses a considerable challenge for pilots who heavily rely on GPS for navigation and landing. Nevertheless, pilots are well-trained to manually land their planes in the presence of GPS interference, eliminating any concerns about them mistakenly landing on a non-existent runway.