GNSS navigation interference disrupts telemetry tracking of raptors migrating between Europe and Africa

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference in war conflict zones can disrupt wildlife tracking for research and conservation efforts. In 2023 and 2024, we tagged Black Kites Milvis migrans in Moldova and Kazakhstan, respectively, with telemetry loggers, tracked them until September 2025 and found that 20 out of the 24 Black Kites had interfered (erroneous) geographical position fixes. The GNSS interference was obvious mainly in the border area between Ukraine and Russia, in the eastern Mediterranean, the area of the Red Sea and Sudan and was most likely caused by intentional jamming or spoofing or a combination of both influences in areas of war combat operations. In this work, we propose a methodological guide on how to proceed during the primary processing of telemetry data from areas where GNSS interference can be assumed, which allows for relatively easy removal of erroneous position data.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ibis
Published
2026-10-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.70140
Primary Topic
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

GNSS navigation interference disrupts telemetry tracking of raptors migrating between Europe and Africa

Vitalie Ajder, Igor V. Karyakin, Jan Škrábal, Ivan Literák et al.
Ibis
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
article

GNSS navigation interference disrupts telemetry tracking of raptors migrating between Europe and Africa

Vitalie Ajder, Igor V. Karyakin, Jan Škrábal, Ivan Literák, Ondřej Homola
article en

Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference in war conflict zones can disrupt wildlife tracking for research and conservation efforts. In 2023 and 2024, we tagged Black Kites Milvis migrans in Moldova and Kazakhstan, respectively, with telemetry loggers, tracked them until September 2025 and found that 20 out of the 24 Black Kites had interfered (erroneous) geographical position fixes. The GNSS interference was obvious mainly in the border area between Ukraine and Russia, in the eastern Mediterranean, the area of the Red Sea and Sudan and was most likely caused by intentional jamming or spoofing or a combination of both influences in areas of war combat operations. In this work, we propose a methodological guide on how to proceed during the primary processing of telemetry data from areas where GNSS interference can be assumed, which allows for relatively easy removal of erroneous position data.

Ibis
University of Veterinary Sciences Brno (CZ), Moldova State University (MD), Institute of Ecology and Geography (MD)
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
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