Two Finnish Airlines flights were forced to abort their journeys to Estonia after encountering GPS system malfunctions, with authorities pointing fingers at Russia for the disruptions.

The latest incident involved a second Finnish Airlines plane, which failed to complete its flight and had to return to Helsinki airport due to GPS system problems. This comes after a similar incident on Friday evening, highlighting the severity of the issue.

Both flights were en route from Helsinki to the Estonian city of Tartu when they encountered difficulties, raising suspicions of deliberate interference. Finnish authorities have accused Russia of instigating air traffic disruptions, citing an escalating pattern of incidents.

According to Helsinki authorities, Russia's alleged hybrid warfare tactics targeting air traffic commenced in 2022, with 1,500 reported violations of the navigation system. By 2023, the number of disruptions surged to 7,500, marking a significant escalation in hostilities. However, the recent incidents represent a concerning escalation, as planes were unable to land due to breaches in the GPS system.

Efforts to address the issue and safeguard airspace integrity are underway, but the underlying threat of interference persists, casting a shadow over the reliability of air travel routes in the region.