EU countries file complaint against Russia over ongoing satellite interference

Eight European countries have filed a complaint with the United Nations (UN) over ongoing interference with satellite communication by Russia.

Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine have signed the grievance. Another 17 EU member states and the United Kingdom support the complaint.

According to Dutch news outlet Nieuwsuur, which got hold of documents dealing with the matter, several European countries have been experiencing satellite interference for a year from two main European satellite providers: Eutelsat and SES. Their satellites are being used for radio and television communications, as well as navigation.

In the Spring of 2024, a noticeable disruption occurred when Russian propaganda clips suddenly appeared on a channel called BabyTV in multiple European countries. The same images were also shown several times on Ukrainian television.

Both Eutelsat and SES investigated the matter and concluded that the feed came from Russia. The space monitoring station in Leeheim, Germany, has confirmed this as well and claims that the interference originates from Kaliningrad and the Russia-occupied Crimea peninsula.

The charges have been delivered to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the highest independent body within the UN that deals with satellite communication. In previous letters addressed to the ITU, Russia denied any involvement. Invitations to engage in talks with affected countries went unanswered.

Anonymous sources have told Nieuwsuur that France and Sweden, the countries where the Eutelsat and SES are based, are having talks with a Russian delegation at the UN in Geneva to discuss the events this week.

Patrick Bolder, an expert on military activities in space at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), has little faith that the talks will lead to a solution. “Russia doesn’t operate under international law, but rather the law of the jungle,” he says.

Sabotaging satellite communication isn’t just a hindrance for Europeans trying to watch TV. It also affects radio signals critical to shipping and aviation.

Russia is jamming satellite signals to confuse GPS-guided drones in the military conflict with Ukraine. However, some civilian airplanes and commercial ships aren’t able to navigate either. Allegedly, Russia considers this collateral damage.