Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink system, often hailed as a ‘secret weapon’, is of great importance for the Ukrainian army’s communications and enemy surveillance. It can even control drones and correct artillery fire. In the meantime, however, aggressor Russia is likely to rely on the agency as well – a circumstance that makes Ukraine’s survival increasingly difficult.
Elon Musk delivered Starlink antennas to Ukraine after the Russian army invaded. This gave the armed forces of the war-torn country a trump card, against which even countless Russian hackers were powerless. As is known, Russia is not willing to accept this one-sided support so easily: the head of the Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin threatened some time ago with consequences for the supply of “fascist forces in Ukraine”. Musk joked on Twitter-X at the time: “If I died under mysterious circumstances, it was good to have known you.”
Now, however, the tide is turning. According to information from Kiev, Russian troops in Ukraine are now also using the Starlink satellite internet service. Ukrainian military intelligence published an audio recording on Telegram in which Russian paratroopers allegedly discussed the deployment of Starlink terminals. There has been no statement from Russia on this.
Corresponding evidence of this appeared on social networks a few months ago. However, in a tweet shared on February 8, SpaceX representatives assured that the company does not do business with the Russian government or military. “Starlink does not operate in Russia and this means the service will not work in this country,” the company said. SpaceX did not sell or market Starlink in Russia, nor did it supply equipment to locations in Russia.
“Hacked” system with wrong signal?
However, the Russians could simply acquire Starlink abroad and then distribute it to their armed forces, a source told the US portal “Defense One”. Naval expert Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute told the newspaper that Russian forces were able to conceal the use of Starlink. To do this, Russia could send a false GPS signal to the Starlink terminal, making it appear as if the user is in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Todd Humphreys, a satellite navigation expert, thinks it’s possible that SpaceX isn’t keeping a close eye on the location of the terminals at the moment. At times, Ukrainian forces increased their attacks on Russia – it was feared that errors would occur in determining the front line. In that case, the attacked country could lose its Starlink supply.
Satellite internet via the online shop
Newsweek magazine states that Starlink devices are now even available through online stores and sold to volunteer organizations supporting Russian troops in the occupied territories in Ukraine. Mail order companies such as “imiele.ru” or “djirussia.ru” offer the terminals for 299,000 rubles (about 3,050 euros) each. American security expert Samuel Bendett described on “X” that Russian volunteers had already purchased Starlink devices for the military.
The fact that Russia is now apparently also using Starlink is exacerbating the already burning problems of the Ukrainian military – as the lack of ammunition is causing more and more problems for the country. Currently, Russia is expected to use ten Starlink terminals along the front line, as stated by the US portal “Defense One”. “If they ever have hundreds, things will get tight for us,” the site quoted a Ukrainian source as saying.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
