Moscow Says Oslo Could Use GPS Scandal To Divert Attention From Domestic Problems

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that she did not rule out that Norway could use the scandal surrounding GPS glitches during NATO drills to divert public attention from domestic problems, including the recent collision of a Norwegian navy frigate with an oil tanker.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2018) Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that she did not rule out that Norway could use the scandal surrounding GPS glitches during NATO drills to divert public attention from domestic problems, including the recent collision of a Norwegian navy frigate with an oil tanker.

The Trident Juncture exercises held on October 25 - November 7 in several northern European countries, including Norway and Finland, were overshadowed by several instances in which pilots reported losing GPS signals. On November 13, the Norwegian Defense Ministry issued a statement blaming Russia for disruption of GPS navigation signals.

"It is hard to get rid of the impression that the Norwegian defense minister needed these absurd stories to divert public attention from the scandal .

.. surrounding the Norwegian naval frigate Helge Ingstad," Zakharova said.

The spokeswoman added that the Russian Foreign Ministry received no official requests for comments from Norway so far, stressing that it was "very common for some Western politicians to blame Russia for any incidents without providing evidence."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on November 15 that Moscow would respond to possible questions related to the matter after Helsinki and Oslo use diplomatic channels.

Royal Norwegian Navy's Helge Ingstad frigate sank after colliding with the Sola TS oil tanker off Norwegian coast on November 8.