Eight European countries file complaint with ITU over Russian satellite interference

Eight European countries, including Ukraine, have lodged a formal complaint with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) over Russia's ongoing interference with satellite communications. 

The complaint, signed by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, France, and the Netherlands, was submitted to the ITU, which is the leading international body for satellite communication, Caliber.Az reports via European media.

Seventeen other EU member states and the United Kingdom have expressed their support for the complaint. The countries are calling for Russia to cease its disruptive actions against satellite communications, which have been vital for radio and television broadcasting, as well as aviation navigation.

Over the past year, multiple European nations have experienced significant disruptions to satellite services provided by two major operators, Eutelsat and SES. One notable incident occurred last spring when Russian war propaganda was broadcast on the BabyTV channel in the Netherlands and other European countries. At the same time, Ukrainian TV channels were also targeted with propaganda broadcasts.

Eutelsat, based in France, and SES, headquartered in Sweden and Luxembourg, conducted investigations into these disruptions and identified that the interference was originating from Russian-controlled areas, including Crimea and Kaliningrad Oblast. The primary objective of these disturbances was seen as an attempt to undermine Ukrainian television broadcasts relying on the satellite communications of both companies.

In response to these concerns, Eutelsat has been in talks with European governments to secure additional satellite connectivity for Ukraine, amid ongoing uncertainty regarding access to Elon Musk’s Starlink service. The discussions are reportedly focused on leveraging a combination of satellite constellations, including OneWeb (operating at around 1,200 km above Earth) and Geo satellites (at 35,000 km), to improve satellite connectivity for Ukraine and the wider Black Sea region.

By Khagan Isayev