A crucial element of Ukrainian military communications is taking a hit: satellite internet service Starlinkthe cornerstone of Kiev’s war strategy since the beginning of the conflict, showed serious slowdowns just as Russian troops advanced beyond the country’s northern border.
Operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, Starlink it turned out essential for the Ukrainian Armed Forces: it is used by the military to exchange and collect information but also to conduct drone attacks. This unexpected drop in performance forced soldiers to resort to text messaging to communicate and share vital information, compromising their ability to respond to Moscow’s attacks.
Ukrainian authorities attribute the disruptions to an intensification of Russian interference. As enemy troops advance near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, more powerful electronic weapons and sophisticated tools have been deployed to degrade Musk’s service, undermining the technological advantage Ukraine often has boasted on the battlefield.
These new problems, reported in detail by the New York Times, represent the first time that Russia has managed to cause widespread malfunctions of Starlink. If such successes persist, they could mark a change of scenery in the conflict, highlighting Ukrainian vulnerability and its dependence on the service provided by Musk’s company.
What Kiev says
Starlink works by transmitting from satellites in Earth orbit, received by small terminals on the ground about the size of a pizza box, which spread the signal like a Wi-Fi router. Since 2022, Starlink has provided a vital link for Ukraine, with soldiers relying on it to fly connected drones used for surveillance and as low-cost weapons (often commercial drones repurposed for war use).
Mykhailo FedorovUkraine’s Minister for Digital, revealed that the recent Russian attacks against Starlink seem exploit advanced and new technologies. While the service has remarkably resisted interference on the battlefield, the Russians are now “testing several mechanisms to compromise the quality of Starlink connections,” Fedorov said, underscoring the crucial importance of the service.
SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the Russian Defense Ministry. However, a Russian official told state media that Starlink had been placed on a “target list” and that capabilities were being developed to counter the service.
What they say on the battlefield
While Fedorov hopes for an improvement in Starlink’s performance, some outages appear to have been timed to coincide with Russian attacks, putting the already under-pressure Ukrainian military in further difficulty.
“We are losing the battle in electronic warfare,” he said New York Times Ajax, code name for the deputy commander of the 92nd Brigade’s Achilles attack drone battalion, describing the challenges faced by his troops after the loss of Starlink connectivity. “A day before the attacks, it simply shut down,” Ajax said.
Alternatives to Starlink
The Ukrainian commands and Western allies have long been exploring the possibilities of replacing Starlink, or at least alongside it, with other satellite connectivity services. In recent months, solutions have been examined Satcubea Swedish company that provides portable satellite internet terminals, slower but considered more secure, already in use in Ukraine. Kyivstara Ukrainian mobile operator, and OneWeb, Eutelsat’s satellite Internet company, have announced a partnership to provide high-speed satellite Internet services across the country. ICEYE, a Finnish company that provides remote satellite imagery, has already provided technological aid to Ukraine. Replacing Starlink, however, is not easy, given the peculiarities of the service set up by Musk.
