ISTANBUL

A Spanish military aircraft carrying Defense Minister Margarita Robles experienced a GPS “disturbance” on Wednesday morning while flying over Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave en route to Lithuania, the Spanish Defense Ministry claimed.

The incident, reported by Europa Press, is being treated by Spanish authorities as an attempt to override the aircraft’s navigation systems rather than a technical malfunction.

The ministry says the jet remains under safe control, employing alternate navigation protocols while en route.

The disruption occurred in the Russian-controlled region of Kaliningrad, which lies between Poland and Lithuania and is heavily militarized.

The incident has heightened tensions across NATO, particularly in Eastern Europe, as air routes in close proximity to Russian airspace are already under high scrutiny.

Spain has called for explanations from Moscow, asking for assurances that civilian and military flights are not subjected to hostile electronic interference.

The government is assessing whether the disruption amounts to a deliberate act of electronic warfare.

This is not the first time such a GPS interference incident has been reported near Kaliningrad. Previous episodes involving Western aircraft have been attributed to electronic jamming capabilities deployed by Russian forces in the region.

No damage or loss of communication was reported, and the aircraft continued safely to its destination.