Russia is most likely trying to protect its forces in Syria, including from drone attacks, by disrupting and engaging in active electronic warfare. According to The National Interest, Israeli sources are "increasingly convinced" that GPS failure of civilian flights in the region is "a side effect of Russian radio interference in Syria."
In recent years, ships have also reported GPS jammer in the eastern Mediterranean, with Russia suspected of having implemented electronic traffic jams to protect its forces in Syria fighting for the Bashar al-Assad regime.
However, the disruption may well be the result of spoofing. Ships posting about GPS problems in the U.S. Coast Guard's navigation center reported what appeared to be authentic satellite signals but were unable to receive credible position information, reflecting the spoofing events in Syria near the Russian air base.
Moscow is believed to be attempting to disrupt Western aircraft, including the latest stealth F-22 and F-35 fighters, as well as armed drones that are regularly attempting to attack Russia's Khmeimim base in Latakia, Syria.
