The UK Defense Secretary's plane was intercepted as it neared the Russian border, the source said

The plane used by UK Defense Minister Grant Shabbs to return from Poland was affected by satellite signal interference and Russia is believed to be responsible, sources and journalists traveling with the authority said on Thursday.

According to a government source and journalists, the GPS signal was interrupted for about 30 minutes while the plane was flying near the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.

Cellphones lost internet connectivity, forcing the plane to use alternative means to trace its location, they said.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the incident on Wednesday, but said it was “not unusual”.

“Yesterday, the plane carrying the Defense Secretary and his team experienced temporary GPS interference while flying near Kaliningrad while returning from Poland,” the spokesman said.

“This does not threaten the safety of the aircraft and it is not unusual for the aircraft to experience GPS interference near Kaliningrad, which is definitely Russian territory.”