The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has warned that smartphone clocks across Ukraine may experience disruptions due to the deployment of electronic warfare (EW) systems aimed at countering Russian drone attacks. Ukrainian users have reported frequent, automatic time changes on their smartphones during air raid alarms as electronic warfare measures activate.
These EW systems use a technique known as GPS spoofing, which involves broadcasting false GPS signals to mislead Russian drones by altering their perceived location. This tactic aims to deflect drones off course, but it also impacts civilian devices reliant on GPS for time zone settings. As modern smartphones automatically adjust time zones based on their geolocation, users in Ukraine may find their devices switching to incorrect times when EW is active.
Screenshots posted by Ukrainian users on social media in recent days reveal instances where their smartphone locations appeared in Russian territory, indicating the impact of GPS interference.
In response, the General Staff advised residents:
“It is advisable to disable the automatic time update mode in the phone and take into account that the accuracy of satellite navigation systems may be disturbed during the announcement of air alerts.”
The uptick in EW deployments comes amid an extended period of regular Russian aerial attacks. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian forces have launched over 900 bombs, nearly 500 Shahed drones and about 30 missiles in the past week alone. October saw Russia deploying more than 2,000 Shahed-type drones over Ukraine, in a persistent attempt to crack Ukrainian C-UAS defences.
Despite international sanctions, Russia continues to acquire resources through sanctions evasion networks involving allies such as China, Iran and North Korea, allowing it to maintain its offensive capabilities.
Post Image Credit: Andrey Mateev via Unsplash
