Ukraine says Russia is using Starlink on the front line

Ukrainian officials and intelligence say the Russian military is using Starlink satellite communications equipment in many places, including on the front lines in Donetsk province.

"Yes, we have recorded the use of these devices by the Russian military. This is starting to become systematic," Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, said on February 10 when asked about information about Russian forces deploying Starlink satellite communication equipment on the front line.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (GUR) confirmed the information on February 11. GUR said that Starlink terminals were installed in units of the Russian 83rd Guards Assault Airborne Brigade operating near the villages of Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, south of the city of Bakhmut.

Earlier, engineer Oleh Kutkov, who helped design Starlink terminals for the Ukrainian military, said that Russian forces had begun using them on the front lines. The devices were purchased through third countries and resold by dealers in Russia.

A Starlink terminal at a location in the Russian-controlled area in this photo released on February 10. Photo: VOU — A Starlink terminal at a location in the Russian-controlled area in this photo released on February 10. Photo: *VOU*

SpaceX, the company that provides the Starlink satellite internet service, said it does not cooperate with the Russian government or its armed forces. SpaceX vowed to disable the terminals “if they are used by any unauthorized party.”

The Starlink terminals that Russian forces possess operate in the area they control and other parts of Ukraine, using the same channels and satellite programming as the equipment owned by the Ukrainian military.

“Either all of them will work or none of them will work,” Kutkov said, referring to the risk that Ukraine’s Starlink equipment will stop working if the transceivers used by the Russian military are disabled. The engineer also warned that many terminals concentrated in one area could overload the Starlink system and slow down the connection speed.

After the war with Russia broke out in February 2022, Starlink's service helped Ukraine maintain Internet connectivity and normal operations, allowing its soldiers to communicate more easily on the front line, partly supporting the operations of weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The document said Russia tested the Tobol-1 system in Ukraine for 25 days in September 2022. The Ukrainian military reported a disruption to the Starlink satellite internet system in October 2022, but it is unclear whether the incident was caused by the Tobol-1 complex or another Russian jamming system.