Moscow: Russian troops fighting against Ukraine reportedly lost partial access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service. Several Russian military bloggers shared this information, but Musk denied that Russia can use Starlink at all.
Ukraine had earlier claimed that Russian forces were increasingly using Starlink in occupied areas, especially in eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian military said that Russia’s 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade was one of the units using Starlink, making it clear that the technology was playing a key role in battlefield communications. Ukraine itself depends heavily on Starlink for secure communication and drone operations.
All about Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet service owned by Musk’s company, SpaceX. The system uses thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide internet access worldwide. Musk has repeatedly insisted that Starlink is not being sold to Russia, though reports suggested that Russian forces may have found a way to access it.
SpaceX had stated in early 2023 that it would deactivate any terminals found to be used by “unauthorized parties.”
Russia denies use of Starlink
Despite Russia officially denying any use of Starlink, at least three pro-Kremlin Telegram channels recently reported that Russian soldiers had lost access to the service in certain frontline areas. One report claimed that around 10% of Russian-operated Starlink terminals had been blocked. Another war correspondent described the situation as a “mass blocking” of the service. However, it remains unclear how many Russian forces have been affected.
According to Newsweek reports, United States has also been actively working with Ukraine and SpaceX to prevent Russian use of Starlink. In 2024, former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, John Plumb, said the Pentagon had successfully countered Russian access but warned that Moscow could find new ways to exploit the technology.
