Russia’s Interference with satellite transmissions must be stopped

Russian interference with GPS systems made the news this past summer. However, it’s only part of the story. Since its broad-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia’s interference with European satellite transmissions has been registered on multiple occasions.

Interference, malicious and otherwise

The incidents getting the most press concern a Dutch satellite TV broadcaster called BabyTV. On at least two occasions, transmissions were interrupted by sudden cuts to Russian propaganda footage. Russian jamming of Ukrainian communications going through the same satellite is considered to be the source of the problem, and is generally not considered as malicious interference.

Another issue that was brought to the attention of the International Telecommunications Union in June came from Sweden regarding deliberate interference to satellite TV transmissions in the Nordic region. The interference began after Sweden applied for NATO membership.

Attenuated responses

Reuters reported in July that the ITU had issued a statement calling on Russia to stop the interference. Ground stations in Kaliningrad and near Moscow, among others, were singled out as the sources of the interrupting transmissions. However, stricter measures were not taken, and the disruptions have continued through November.

Some analysts are looking at the incidents within a broader context, and their conclusions aren’t cheerful. Dutch public broadcaster NOS interviewed Patrick Bolder, a strategic analyst with The Hague Center for Strategic Studies. “We’re already at war with Russia, but a lot of people don’t understand that,” he told NOS’ Nieuwsuur programme.

According to NOS, “Bolder said the number of European satellites targeted by Russia was significant, adding ‘it shows that we’re not resilient or sufficiently aware of our vulnerabilities.'”

It gets worse

Bolder is right as far as he goes, but his statements don’t take the issue far enough. And if using the word ‘war’ raises concerns, let’s try it from a slightly different angle. Russian, and to a lesser degree, Chinese belligerence are on the rise across a spectrum of human activity. Russia’s interference is part of a set of actions that must be met.

The Swedish government has bolstered its position militarily by joining NATO and is more secure from missile fire, but that addresses only one set of vulnerabilities. The consequences of interference to satellite transmissions are poorly defined and poorly enforced at best, as the ITU’s actions this past summer have shown. Whether this was deliberate interference or merely collateral damage while the main target was Ukrainian military comms is of secondary importance. Protecting transmissions from a technical perspective is also necessary, but not sufficient. What’s needed is a harsher response from governments and the ITU to state actors and state sponsored interference.

Perhaps the muted response is a legacy of Cold War HF jamming and other sharp practices, where the interference was just accepted as a part of life on the radio spectrum. Perhaps it’s part of the overall reluctance to cross Russia’s “line of death, you cross, you die” bellicose ravings. Regardless, the question is what we are going to do about it. Because, clearly, something must be done.