Starlink cut off halts Russian frontline assaults
A soldier from the 47th Brigade prepares the Starlink system at frontline positions in Donetsk Oblast (Photo: REUTERS/Inna Varenytsia)
Russian troops have reportedly halted assaults on multiple sections of the front after losing access to Starlink satellite communications, an advisor to Ukraine’s Defense Minister on technological issues, Serhiy Beskrestnov (call sign Flesh) reported on Telegram on Feb. 5.
“The enemy on the frontlines is facing a catastrophe. All troop command and control systems have been knocked out. Assaults have been halted in many areas,” Beskrestnov wrote.
Problems arose only for Russian forces using unregistered Starlink terminals, Beskrestnov added, noting that Ukrainian authorities are processing registration lists to ensure proper control.
Reports from Russian military propagandists and pro-Kremlin Z-channels acknowledged the outages, noting that forces in the Kupyansk sector were left without satellite communications and had no alternative system.
The disruption follows the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's and SpaceX's efforts to prevent Russian forces from using Starlink to guide drone strikes. On Jan. 29, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the ministry was collaborating with SpaceX to block Starlink access for Russian drones.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the initiative, stating on Feb. 1 that the measures to stop Russian drones from using Starlink had “been successful.” Verification of all Starlink terminals in Ukraine began on Feb. 2, with only registered devices permitted to operate.
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