Finland and Other NATO Countries are Under the Watchful Eyes of Russian Spy Satellites

Using the military spy satellite Luch which intercepts radio waves transmitted by communication satellites, the Kremlin can monitor the communication of citizens of Finland and other NATO countries. 

This information comes from the Yle publication, citing a report from the American research center CSIS.

According to the "Space Threat Assessment 2023" report, Russia has successfully developed technology that allows it to intercept the radio waves of communication satellites used by Finland and other NATO countries.

In August 2022, the Russian spy satellite Luch approached the Intelsat 37e satellite to a distance of about one kilometer. This gave Russia the ability to intercept all data transmitted through the satellite for 145 days. In particular, Intelsat relays all messages from the Finns, and this satellite is also used by NATO.

The data transmitted by Intelsat 37e is not protected by modern encryption, so Russia can freely receive and decrypt them on the ground.

Recently, the spy satellite Luch-2 approached a group of satellites used by Western countries. Among them was Eutelsat 3B, used by several Western countries. In particular, this satellite transmits data for airlines, maritime navigation, and media.

The closest distance Luch approached the Eutelsat satellite was 400 meters.

It is also reported that Russia jammed the GPS signal of neighboring countries, causing disruptions in the transmission of air traffic data and endangering the safety of aircraft.

For example, in spring 2022, Ukrainian military lost stable communication at the same time that about 5,800 German wind generators also lost internet connection.

Recall that on November 15, 2021, Russia shot down its satellite with a missile, leading to the formation of a large number of fragments. Some experts believe that the destruction of the spacecraft aims to provoke further chain reactions and the destruction of other satellite systems. This would significantly deteriorate communication in all Western countries, and the signal would be intermittently unavailable.