News blog about the Russian war of aggression
GPS malfunction in Poland: Is Russia behind it?
From dpa, afp, Reuters, csi, mam, cc, sic, ts, te, das, lim
Updated on January 19, 2024 – 3:46 a.m. Reading time: 28 min.
A Russian military truck carrying electronic warfare equipment. (Source: x.com/pawel7)
Lithuania warns of a defeat for Ukraine. The GPS signal was jammed in Poland – probably from Russia. All information in the news blog.
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GPS malfunction in Poland: Is Russia behind it?
3.40 a.m.: In Poland and the Baltics there have been increasing disruptions to the GPS system in recent weeks. The American Institute for War Studies (ISW) reports that there were already failures in parts of the Baltic Sea and Poland in December that could be traced back to jammers. These could come from NATO exercises in the region or from Russian electronic warfare tests in Kaliningrad. The Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST) opened an investigation into the disturbances on January 12, according to ISW.
Swedish Lt. Col. Joakim Paasikivi said he believed the recent GPS jamming was due to “Russian influence or so-called hybrid warfare,” noting that Russia has previously jammed GPS signals in northern Europe to prevent Russian activities in the country to protect Murmansk region or to disrupt NATO exercises.
Lithuania’s foreign minister: Ukraine’s defeat would not end well for Europe
10:02 p.m.: According to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, if Ukraine does not defeat Russia, things will not end well for Europe either. “There is no scenario in which things could end well for Europe if Ukraine doesn’t win,” Landsbergis told the AFP news agency on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos. There is a possibility that Russian aggression in Ukraine cannot be contained, he warns.
Europe has “not recognized the reality” – namely that what is happening in Ukraine is “Europe’s war”, said the Lithuanian politician, demanding that Europe must do more to prepare for possible future aggression by Russia against other European countries to prepare. One measure is joint procurement. “We could procure things that are necessary for the defense of Europe,” he says.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister expects first F-16 missions in 2024
10 p.m.: Ukraine’s preparations for the deployment of F-16 fighter jets in 2024 are going according to plan, according to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “The pilots are preparing. The engineers are preparing. The infrastructure is being prepared,” Kuleba said on Ukrainian television’s permanent news program. All countries that wanted to provide Ukraine with jets would fulfill their obligations.
“I think that this year we will achieve the first F-16 aerial victories in Ukraine,” says the minister. His country’s priority this year is to gain air superiority over Russia. Victory in the war will depend on who controls the sky, says Kuleba.
Zelenskyj: Ukrainian economy grows by five percent
9:04 p.m.: According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s economy grew by five percent last year compared to 2022 despite the Russian invasion. Tax revenue has also increased to the same extent, said the head of state in his evening video speech. “This is a clear sign of Ukraine’s strength,” he said in Kiev.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported to him that the situation in the financial system was stable, says Zelensky. All social benefits would be paid in full. The President thanks the country’s taxpayers: “The government truly appreciates everyone who works, pays taxes and thereby supports our ability – our collective ability – to defend the state and independence despite all difficulties.”
Military sources: Ukraine attacks Russian oil terminal
4:05 p.m.: Ukraine has attacked targets in Russia in a drone attack on an oil terminal in Saint Petersburg. This is part of a “new phase” in the region, according to Ukrainian military circles. A Russian-appointed official in occupied southeastern Ukraine said earlier that Ukraine had unsuccessfully attempted to attack a Russian oil terminal on the Baltic Sea with a drone overnight. “There are confirmed hits. This is a new phase in this region,” says the Ukrainian military representative.
Klitschko: Ukraine needs Taurus missiles
3 p.m.: Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko is calling on Germany to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. The weapons are important because their range could disrupt the logistics of Russian troops, Klitschko tells “Bild” and Welt TV. According to Klitschko, the Ukrainian soldiers at the front are increasingly complaining about a lack of ammunition. “There has been an insane, huge deficit of ammunition for months,” said Klitschko. “Ammunition is the number one question when you talk to soldiers on the front line.” There is also “insane pressure from the Russian side.”
