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Russian interference with satellite systems in Europe has disrupted television broadcasting, including a children’s channel, several times since spring, Dutch media reported Friday, citing internal investigations by companies impacted by the disruptions.
Five satellites operated by French company Eutelsat and one by Luxembourg’s SES were briefly hijacked between mid-March and early November, according to a report by Nieuwsuur, a Dutch news program.
Unnamed government agencies from the Netherlands, France, Sweden and Ukraine told Nieuwsuur that Ukrainian broadcasters appeared to be the main target. The interference also disrupted GPS signals, endangered air traffic control and interrupted broadcasts, including those on the children’s network BabyTV.
Footage from one incident showed a BabyTV program being replaced by a patriotic song, “Vperyod, Rossiya!” (“Forward, Russia!”), performed by EU-sanctioned singer Oleg Gazmanov.
At least one disruption coincided with an April 17 cyberattack that knocked 39 Ukrainian satellite channels offline, according to a major Ukrainian media company.
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In June, Ukraine and four European countries lodged complaints with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), accusing Russia of “harmful interference” that included violent imagery of the war in Ukraine.
A month later, the ITU asked Russia to cease “intentional interference,” identifying the source as earth stations in Moscow, Kaliningrad and other locations. The UN body, which oversees the global satellite system, can issue public condemnations but lacks enforcement powers.
Russia denies breaking ITU rules and accuses NATO countries of conducting satellite interference of their own.
“We’re already at war with Russia, but a lot of people don’t understand that,” space military expert Patrick Bolder told Nieuwsuur.
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.”
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