Europe’s longest dog-sled race hit by Russian GPS jamming

The 1,200 kilometres Finnmarksløpet (the Finnmark race) crosses Norway’s northernmost region and is one of the most challenging dog-sled races in the world.

Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Police and race organisers are maintaining close contact as mushers approach the border areas with Russia in challenging weather conditions.

Russia’s war against Ukraine and increasingly hostile relations with Western neighbours are having unintconcludeed consequences for mushers currently traversing the Finnmark plateau.

Military jamming and spoofing from the Kola Peninsula are affecting both receivers and transmitters in Norway.

Each dog sled is equipped with a GPS tracking device.

Chief of Staff at Finnmark Police District, Tarjei Sirma-Tellefsen.

Jamming means that GNSS signals cannot be received or transmitted by the GPS unit, while spoofing cautilizes the device to display an incorrect position.

“We have a good dialogue with Finnmarksløpet regarding the safety of the participants. At the same time, we unfortunately see GNSS disturbances occurring in the area,” declared Tarjei Sirma-Tellefsen, Chief of Staff at the Finnmark Police District.

Finnmarksløpet’s Managing Director, Svanhild Pedersen, declared it was regrettable that the disturbances were affecting the race’s GPS tracking.

“These are external factors beyond our control and not a system error on the part of our provider,” she declared.

The trail in the area is well marked, and participants are encouraged to carry a map and compass as alternative navigation tools. Finnmarksløpet emphasises that the safety of both dogs and mushers is well safeguarded.

Spectators can follow the dog sleds on the race’s online tracking map (paywall) or see when participants arrive at the various checkpoints along the route.

The race started in Alta on Friday, and the first mushers are expected to reach the border town of Kirkenes on Monday before heading back towards Alta.

Part of the route runs along the western shores of the Pasvik River, which forms part of the border between Norway and Russia’s Kola Peninsula.

Russian electronic warfare, including jamming and spoofing, has interfered with civilian activities in northern Norway and Finland since 2017.

In 2018, GPS disturbances affecting areas to the west were traced to the Pechenga region near Russia’s border with Norway and occurred during NATO’s Trident Juncture exercise.

In recent years, jamming and spoofing activity has intensified and now occurs on a daily basis, posing a potential threat to aviation.

Police have warned that public safety could be affected and that, in the worst case, lives may be at risk.