Russian hackers 'jam signal' on RAF plane with Grant Shapps on board

14 March 2024 , 14:31

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Defence Secretary Grant Shapps's plane was targeted by hackers on the way back from Poland

An RAF plane carrying Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had its signal blocked by Russian hackers on a visit to Poland.

The scare - which saw the aircraft's GPS and internet connection jammed for around 30 minutes - has been blamed on Vladimir Putin's forces. The Cabinet Minister was on the outskirts of Kaliningrad when the RAF Dassault Falcon 900 was targeted yesterday.

A source said it was a "wildly irresponsible" action by the Russian regime, while another branded it "the Kremlin’s way of prodding the UK". Mr Shapps, who was with his team and a select group of journalists, was told the plane's safety wasn't under threat.

Pilots told passengers there were multiple other ways of navigating, The Express reports. A defence source told the newspaper: "While the RAF are well prepared to deal with this, it still puts an unnecessary risk on civilian aircraft and could potentially endanger people’s lives. There is no excuse for this and it’s widely irresponsible on Russia's part."

The Defence Secretary was on his way back from Poland when the plane was targeted (AFP via Getty Images)

It is not thought Mr Shapps's plane was singled out as it flew close to the Russian province between Poland and Lithuania. It happened while the Defence Secretary was returning from eastern Europe, where he'd watched British troops taking part in Steadfast Defender, the biggest training exercise since the Cold War. A source said the jamming is believed to be "directly related to Putin’s attack on Ukraine and the sensitivities around Kaliningrad”.

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Russian forces have used radio jamming to target Ukrainian aircraft since Putin's illegal invasion in 2022. It also has a fleet of drones which it has deployed against Ukrainian forces.

Another security source said: “This is all part of Russia’s intention to undermine confidence, to test the reaction of the UK and to test their own capability. Whilst it may not have reached the threshold for requiring a direct response it is the Kremlin’s way of prodding the UK and saying ‘look at what we can do.’

“It is largely pointless and strategically worthless as it appears not to have prevented a political visit but it is part of a pattern that has been going on for years.”

A source told The Mirror that the aircraft wasn't in danger when it happened, and added that instances like this are "not unusual" in the area.

Dave Burke