- WIADOMOŚCI
Starlink has been disconnected. Russia is forced to look for alternatives
At the beginning of February, all Starlink internet terminals used by the Russian military were blocked. Ukrainian military intelligence reports that the operation was highly effective.
The Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) recorded the shutdown of Starlink satellite communication terminals among Russian forces. Russian soldiers “must look for (…) alternatives that cannot compete in quality (…) with Western technologies.” The current alternatives are practically nonfunctional under combat conditions.
The Russian side has been forced to rely on Gazprom terminals, which operate via the Yamal satellite series, five of which are in geostationary orbit. This number is insufficient to cover the entire front line. Most of the satellite resources of this group are used to serve subscribers within the territory of the Russian Federation. The operator itself has been under international sanctions since February 23, 2024.
“The suspension of Starlink operations among the occupiers has already led to serious problems with unit coordination, logistics, and the use of various types of unmanned systems,” HUR reported.
The Ukrainian side uses Starlink terminals included on the so-called “white list.” Civilians also have the ability to register their own Starlink devices. The Russian side is attempting to gain access to terminals by blackmailing the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war and registering blocked Starlink terminals under their own names. HUR assesses that Russia primarily uses Starlink in attacks on civilian infrastructure. The system increases the range and precision of strikes and complicates the use of anti-drone defense systems.
