GNSS jamming in conflict zones

The study of the migration of the Black-tailed Godwit led to an unexpected discovery about the consequences of human conflicts: GPS spoofing in conflict zones.

This outcome has been highlighted in a collaborative study led by Frédéric Jiguet, recently published in Nature Communications, using two case studies: the migration of Finnish Black-tailed godwits across Russia and Ukraine and the dispersal of juvenile Bonelli’s Eagles in the Middle East.

In war and conflict zones, the jamming of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNNS) signals by military forces disrupts the tracking of tagged animals and has increased in frequency following the recent escalation of conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Such disruption to data collection strongly hampers research into the protection and conservation of endangered animals and presents a new challenge for researchers analyzing bird movements and habitat use.

Jiguet et al. (2025) GNSS spoofing in conflict zones disrupts wildlife tracking and hampers research and conservation efforts. Nature Communications, 16,1199 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56630-2