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On Friday, at its 42nd Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) passed a resolution condemning Russia for interfering with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals in Europe. The global aviation community stated that these actions harm the safety and security of international civil aviation, violate the principles of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and must be stopped immediately.

"Flight safety is a shared concern and responsibility of all countries. The global community has unequivocally stated that any interference with civil aviation isunacceptable. We collectively call on Russia to immediately cease such actions to ensure the reliable and safe operation of international aviation," says Juras Taminskas, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications.

"The GNSS interference carried out by Russia poses a direct threat to flight safety. Lithuania, together with its partners, has affirmed that such activities cannot be tolerated in international aviation," adds Marius Baranauskas, Director of the Transport Competence Agency.

The resolution emphasises that the jamming and spoofing of GNSS signals, originating from the territory of the Russian Federation, undermine the foundations of global aviation safety and violate the Chicago Convention, the founding treaty of ICAO. ICAO urgently calls upon the Russian Federation to strictly comply with its obligations under the Chicago Convention to prevent the recurrence of such GNSS interference activities.

GNSS interference can affect aircraft navigation, especially during critical phases of flight such as take-off and landing, which are crucial for aviation safety. Furthermore, it poses a risk to air traffic control in challenging weather conditions, may cause deviations from planned routes, increase the risk of emergencies, and negatively impact the efficient use of airspace.

Lithuania and other countries in the Baltic, Eastern and Northern European regions are experiencing deliberate interference with GNSS signals. The situation has become particularly worse since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In June this year, the ICAO Council regarded Russia’s actions as inconsistent with the Chicago Convention and international law, based on data from six countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, and Sweden.

Lithuania also initiated a joint letter from EU ministers to the European Commission, signed by 14 EU Member States. The ministers proposed strengthening radio frequency monitoring and expanding coordination mechanisms between EU and NATO member states for joint monitoring, data exchange, and responding to GNSS signal interference.

ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations and the leading international civil aviation organisation, with 193 member states. It develops policies and standards for safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible international civil aviation.

At the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal (Canada), Russia was also not elected to the ICAO Council.

Kontaktinis asmuo
Communication Division
at the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania
Gedimino Av. 17, LT-01103 Vilnius
[email protected]

This is a press release for content of which BNS bears no responsibility!