[ad_1]
Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila gives a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, on March 26, 2018. Lehtikuva / Emmi Korhonen via REUTERS
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finland's GPS signal has been deliberately interrupted during NATO war games in the Nordic countries in recent weeks and the culprit may be Russia, Prime Minister Juha Sipila said on Sunday.
The Finnish Air Navigation Services issued a warning on air traffic on Tuesday due to a serious interruption of GPS in the north of the country. Norway has issued a similar warning on the loss of GPS signals for pilots in its own airspace at the end of October when the NATO exercise began.
"It is possible that Russia has been the disruptive part in this area. Russia has such capabilities, "Sipila told public broadcaster Yle.
Finland is not a member of NATO, but has participated as an ally in "Trident Juncture", the largest NATO exercise in decades and concluded Wednesday. Forces from 31 countries participated in the games near Russia, in an area extending from the Baltic Sea to Iceland.
Finland shares a border of 1,340 km and a difficult history with Russia. He has recently developed closer ties with NATO, but failed to become a full member, in keeping with the tradition of avoiding confrontation with his eastern neighbor.
Reportage by Anne Kauranen; Edited by Matthew Mpoke Bigg
