“The illegal Starlink terminals of the American company SpaceX help Russia advance on the battlefield in Ukraine, in particular, they were used during the capture of Vugledar.”, — write: www.epravda.com.ua
The illegal Starlink terminals of the American company SpaceX help Russia advance on the battlefield in Ukraine, in particular, they were used during the capture of Vugledar.
Source: The Washington Post with reference to the Ukrainian military
Details: The publication notes that previously the Ukrainian army had the main advantage over the Russians, who outnumbered and were better armed – access to the Internet through Starlink terminals, but now it is also used by the occupiers.
The illegal Starlink terminals allow the Russians to use satellite internet to improve coordination during assaults, fly more drones and hit Ukrainian forces with precision artillery fire.
Starlink terminals, which give commanders the ability to see the battlefield in real time with the help of drones and provide secure communication between the military, are subject to a ban on the supply of American electronics to Moscow. However, according to the Ukrainian military, there is a thriving black market in the supply of Starlink terminals to the Russians at the front, and their proliferation has been an important factor in Russia’s recent offensive victories.
Six Ukrainian soldiers and officers from various units in Donetsk told The Washington Post that Russia has bridged the technology gap by making its forces more cohesive and increasing the number and accuracy of attacks.
An officer of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which has defended the Vugledar area since 2022 and was recently forced to withdraw, cited Russia’s use of the Starlink complex as one of the important factors, along with a lack of manpower and weapons, that hastened the fall of Vugledar.
The article notes that Starlink terminals have appeared on Russian positions throughout the year, but only in the past few months have their impact become truly felt, as Russian offensive forces use them to coordinate attacks. Ukrainian servicemen using reconnaissance drones near Novogrodivka said they have been seeing Starlink systems on Russian positions since last month.
The Pentagon previously stated that the governments of the United States and Ukraine are cooperating with SpaceX to “prevent Russia’s illegal use of Starlink terminals in occupied Ukraine.” SpaceX said it would deactivate the terminals if they were being used by an “unauthorized or unauthorized party.”
However, the Pentagon and SpaceX did not provide specific information about the US effort, including how many illegal terminals used by Russian forces have been disabled, the newspaper said.
Although Russian companies and private individuals are not allowed to sell Starlink, a gray market has emerged, fueled by high demand from the military and private buyers.
The Post analyzed four of the many Russian sites offering direct sales for the “special military operation,” as the Kremlin calls the war against Ukraine. Most of the terminals are sold through Telegram and start their journey from the suburbs of Moscow, and then get to the front. To activate the device, users need a foreign phone number, an email address and a bank account to pay a monthly subscription fee, prompting providers to seek out people willing to lend their personal data.
Prehistory:
- On October 2, OSUV “Khortytsia” reported that Ukrainian units were withdrawn from Vugledar, Donetsk region, in order to preserve personnel, military equipment and take up positions for further battles.
- On October 10, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radosław Sikorski, said that only Poland, and not American billionaire and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk, finances Starlink Internet terminals for Ukraine.
- On September 26, the Defense Express portal reported that Russia began installing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communication on Shahed-136 attack drones.
- In February of this year, the Ukrainian military drew attention to the fact that the Russians began using the Starlink terminals of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company at their positions. Later, this information was confirmed by Ukrainian military intelligence, which stated that the Russian Federation was purchasing terminals in Arab countries.
- In this regard, Democrats in the US House of Representatives have launched an investigation into SpaceX.
Ukrainian truth