”We are worried, yes, and it is something we take into account on every single flight to East-Finnmark. We were spoofed on approach to Kirkenes today,” says Johan Lester. He is captain with SAS and flew the northbound flight from Oslo Friday evening with Barents Observer among the passengers.
Kirkenes airport Høybuktmoen is a short 10 kilometers from the border with Russia and about 50 km from the military stronghold in the Pechenga valley from where the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade regularly direct electronic warfare signals towards Norway. […]
East Finnmark region, like Finland and other European neighbors to Russia, have seen an exponential increase in jamming incidents since 2017. Last year, pilots flying to Kirkenes reported about disruption of GPS signals nearly every day.
Further on the Kola Peninsula is Olenya air base where Russia’s aviation forces deploy a fleet of Tu-95MS bombers that frequently are flying south to launch cruise missiles against Ukraine, causing terrifying scenes as civilian apartments blocks and energy infrastructure are hit. Läs artikel