Ukrainian Navy Destroys Russian Offshore Gas Platform Used For GPS Spoofing In Black Sea

Ukrainian navy has targeted and destroyed an offshore gas platform earlier used by Russian forces for military purposes in the Black Sea, according to a navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk.

Pletenchuk added that the platform, previously used for gas extraction, was being used by the occupiers (Russian force) for GPS spoofing to make civilian navigation dangerous.

GPS Spoofing, also referred to as GPS simulation, is the process of deceiving a GPS receiver by broadcasting false GPS signals.
The manipulation causes the GPS device to believe it is in a different location than its actual position, resulting in inaccurate location data.

The technique threatens the accuracy of GPS information, crucial for navigation, time synchronization and various other applications.

GPS spoofing was initially a theoretical concern, but it has now evolved into a major practical threat due to the availability of affordable software and hardware capable of producing fake GPS signals. With improved technology, the level of expertise in GPS spoofing has also enhanced, exposing industries, governments, and individuals to new threats and major security issues.

Pletenchuk released a video on Facebook with an explosion followed by a massive fire.

The attack occurred after Russian forces had deployed equipment and military personnel on the platform less than a day before the strike.

Pletenchuk stated that no civilians were on the platform at the time of the incident and that it was not carrying out its regular operations.

The Ukrainian military action is part of an ongoing effort to safeguard maritime routes and counter Russian military activities in the region.

Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine has lost control of numerous offshore gas and oil platforms, some of which have been used by Russian forces for strategic advantages.

Ukraine has recently used naval drones and missiles to push the Russian Navy out of the western Black Sea, which has allowed Kyiv to establish a crucial maritime transit corridor that has facilitated the transport of approximately 60 million tons of cargo over the past year.

Dmytro Pletenchuk previously stated that Russia launched three submarines equipped with cruise missiles simultaneously, even though they are the only ones operating in the Azov-Black Sea region.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine’s Navy has revealed that the Black Sea Fleet has lost almost one-third of its ships due to the Ukrainian strike.

Reference: Reuters

Ukrainian Navy Destroys Russian Offshore Gas Platform Used For GPS Spoofing In Black Sea appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News