Russia uses GPS spoofing to divert Ukrainian drones into NATO airspace, causing first casualties on allied soil

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia is employing GPS spoofing to divert Ukrainian strike drones off course and into NATO airspace, Lithuania announced this week. The warning comes days before a Russian drone struck a Romanian apartment block and wounded two civilians — likely the first casualties on NATO soil since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Escalating Interference

Russia's interference reached Lithuania's capital on May 20, when a drone forced Vilnius into shelters, shut down its airport, and cleared parliament — the first such alert in the city since 2022.

The jamming has been escalating for nearly three years, beginning around the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius. It now intensifies whenever Ukrainian drones fly toward Russian targets.

"This is the new reality of what the Baltic states face," said Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas last week.

Drone Incursions and Damage

Unlike the attacks that struck homes in Romania on Friday, most drones that have crossed into Baltic airspace over recent months were not launched by Russia. Instead, they were operated by Ukraine and thrown off course by Russian interference.

• Both strike drones targeting Russian refineries and ports, and interceptor drones meant to counter incoming attacks, have been steered into NATO airspace multiple times over the past few years.
• On May 7, a drone struck a Latvian oil depot, exploding on impact.
• On May 19, a Romanian F-16 on NATO patrol shot down another drone over Estonia — the first time an allied jet had downed a drone believed to be Ukrainian.

Romanian F-16s scrambled in response, according to President Nicușor Dan.

How Spoofing Works

From Kaliningrad, Russian transmitters broadcast counterfeit satellite signals strong enough to seize a drone's navigation in flight, feed it false coordinates, and send it off course.

Lithuania counted 36 such spoofing transmitters this week, up from three at the start of 2025, reaching 450 kilometers (280 miles) across the region, according to Reuters.

Spoofing is a form of electronic warfare that works by deception rather than brute force. While jamming overwhelms a drone's receiver with noise until it can no longer fix its position, spoofing sends a stronger, counterfeit signal that the receiver treats as genuine.

"The idea behind spoofing is to create deception," said Thomas Withington, an electronic-warfare specialist at the Royal United Services Institute.

When a drone is fed a false fix, it can fly on a completely different path than its operator intended.

Vulnerable Drone Routes

The drones most exposed are Ukraine's long-range models, which fly north toward Russian oil-export terminals on the Gulf of Finland, including Ust-Luga and Primorsk near St. Petersburg. Their routes hug the Baltic coast, where Russian electronic warfare is densest, and a drone that loses its true fix drifts into allied airspace.

NATO Response

NATO has condemned each strike and scrambled jets to meet them, but has not threatened any retaliation.

Romania's foreign minister said the Galați strike could justify emergency consultations under NATO's Article 4, the treaty's mechanism for talks when a member's security is threatened.

After speaking with President Dan on Friday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance stands ready to defend "every inch" of allied territory.

No member, however, has invoked Article 5, the clause that treats an attack on one ally as an attack on all.