The locations of over 100 warships, including the Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier strike group, were manipulated and their positions falsified.

Researchers at environmental NGOs SkyTruth and Global Fishing Watch discovered that the automatic identification systems (AIS) of Royal Navy, Swedish Navy and US Navy warships had been altered in order to suggest they were close to a Russian naval base. 

The spoofed tracks included one that seemed to show the American destroyer USS Roosevelt four nautical miles inside Russian territorial waters.

Onboard AIS systems broadcast a ship's location, course and speed, and show the same data from other vessels. Their manipulation increases the risk of safety incidents, and creates disinformation about warship positions and operations. 

Commentators said the culprit and motivation was unknown, though Russia was fingered as the most likely culprit.

The incident underscored the importance of advanced countermeasures against AIS spoofing.