How and why is "Starlink" used in the war in Ukraine?
"Starlink" is used in the war in Ukraine as a key tool for communication and intelligence, as well as for the management of military units, weapons systems and supplies. In general, it is a satellite system that provides access to the Internet. It was created by SpaceX, the American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk.
"Starlink" users need a special satellite dish and a receiver that also acts as a router. The technology provides access to high-speed Internet, regardless of the traditional telecommunications infrastructure. Using regular mobile internet on the front line is ineffective and dangerous, as there is often no coverage and existing connections can be quickly detected, explains the German public broadcaster ARD.
How did Ukraine and Russia acquire this technology?
Ukraine has been using the "Starlink" system since 2022 to protect against Russian attacks. Musk's company initially provided the attacked country with around 1,000 "Starlink" antennas. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army has over 40,000 terminals.
The use of "Starlink" is not officially allowed in Russia. The system is not licensed there, and Musk does not sell his technology to the Russian Federation. However, in 2023, the Russian troops, who are suffering from serious communication problems, acquired the first "Starlink" terminals. They were smuggled into Russia mainly through countries in the Persian Gulf or Central Asia, the publication, which cites data from the DPA agency, also says.
Why was "Starlink" recently blocked for Russia?
"Starlink" was recently blocked for Russia. In the weeks before the service was suspended, the Russian military used it to carry out a series of particularly effective drone attacks against Ukrainian units - both on the front line and along supply routes, which led to Russian territorial gains, ARD further recalls and explains that Russia's ground forces received from "Starlink" such air support that the Russian air force could not provide them.
The system also helped Russia carry out attacks directed deep into the interior of Ukraine. "The Russian armed forces are increasingly using "Starlink" satellite networks to extend the range of their BM-35 attack drones and carry out medium-range strikes in Ukraine," the independent Institute for the Study of War (ISW) recently noted.
This prompted Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to ask Elon Musk why he did not block "Starlink" for Russia. "Why don't you prevent the Russians from using "Starlink" to attack Ukrainian cities?", Sikorski asked Musk on the X platform. "Profits from war crimes harm your brand," added Sikorski. Ukraine also raised the alarm, and apparently this was heard at SpaceX, writes ARD.
How does the blocking work?
About the blocking of the Russian military's access to "Starlink" Two measures were taken in Ukraine.
The first of these was a speed limit: if the terminal moves at more than 90 km/h for two minutes, the system is restarted. This is supposed to prevent the terminals from being used by Russian drones.
The second measure is considered even more important: all terminals on the territory of Ukraine must be officially registered on an electronic platform in order to be able to function. This has obviously caused problems for the Ukrainian side as well, since the majority of the terminals were not officially purchased by the armed forces, but by volunteers. Units that have such devices must officially register them in order to be able to use them again.
How will this affect the course of the war?
According to ISW, from Wednesday to Sunday last week, Ukraine regained about 200 square kilometers - this is as much territory as the country has not managed to regain in such a period of time since June 2023. This is a small section of the front east of the city of Zaporizhia. The institute explains this success precisely by blocking "Starlink" for Russian units. Since then, Russia has managed to conquer new territories in just one single day, ARD and DPA write.
Shortly after the communications were turned off, the military correspondent for Russian state television, Alexander Sladkov, complained that communication between units had returned to the level of 2022, i.e. since the beginning of the war.
But this does not mean that Russia cannot continue to wage this war. For some time now, it has also been relying on optical technology when it comes to drones: an optical cable, wound on a reel and reaching a length of up to 50 kilometers, is attached to the unmanned aerial vehicles, through which data for controlling the drone is transmitted. This way, it can be directed to the target without being interfered with by radio frequency.
In addition, Russia is currently testing a new communication system as an alternative to "Starlink", as reported by the Russian agency TASS, quoted by ISW. According to data from the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects, the Barrage-1 stratospheric platform has made its first flight. According to Russian military bloggers, quoted by the Institute for the Study of War, however, the system is not suitable to replace "Starlink", the ARD publication also says.