Ukraine is considering moving away from the U.S. dollar and closer to the euro as a benchmark for the hryvnia, National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi told Reuters.
The Atesh partisan group claims it disabled communication at several Russian military facilities when it allegedly destroyed equipment at a transformer substation in the village of Mogiltsy in Russia's Moscow Oblast.
"The Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on May 7, according to Politico.
EU ambassadors began talks this week on a 17th sanctions package that targets Russia’s military-industrial complex, Moscow’s shadow shipping fleet, and related support networks.
Martin Herem, the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, speaks during an interview in Ankara, Turkey, on March 31, 2022. (Muhammed Yaylali/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russia is likely behind an increase in GPS jamming across Eastern Europe, said Martin Herem, the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, in an interview with Bloomberg published on Jan. 31.
Russia has been repeatedly accused of backing cyber-crime groups in attacks against its perceived rivals. Moscow has also deployed its cyber capabilities against Ukraine, including attacks on government institutions, the defense sector, and energy infrastructure.
Russia has also been accused of jamming GPS signals in nearby countries such as Finland as far back as the 2010s.
Herem said that the GPS jamming had affected satellite signals used by airlines, smartphones, and weapons systems. While Russia's responsibility for the jamming attacks could not be confirmed, it is likely, he said.
Russia may be attempting to test its jamming capabilities in a potential war-gaming scenario, the Estonian general added.
"Russia has demonstrated its electronic warfare capabilities elsewhere, not just in Ukraine and the Baltic countries," Herem said. "They’re definitely quite strong in this."
The potential source of the jamming activities is unclear, but Russia's Defense Ministry previously admitted that its electronic warfare units based in the exclave of Kaliningrad held exercises to test its satellite disruption capabilities.
Another possible origin could be from Russian ships based in the Baltic Sea, Herem said.
While the potential targets for Russian jamming operations would likely be military objects, satellite disruptions can also potentially impact commercial jets flying in the area.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Nate Ostiller
