Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian front-line troops are facing challenges with the vital Starlink internet service, owned by Elon Musk and utilized to operate Kyiv’s fleet of attack drones. Despite US sanctions prohibiting Russian use of the service, Ukrainian soldiers are reporting connection issues and a surge in Russian utilization of the devices. Connection speeds have dropped in recent months, leading to complaints about other connection problems among troops stationed along the front lines.
The reasons behind the deteriorating service in Ukraine remain unclear as both Starlink, SpaceX, and Elon Musk have declined to comment on the matter. However, troops and analysts suggest that there may be a higher concentration of Starlinks in contested areas than before, which could be impacting the connection speeds on both sides of the conflict lines. The Starlink internet service has been crucial in providing a frontline advantage to Ukraine’s smaller military since the 2022 invasion, enabling real-time sharing of drone feeds between units and facilitating communication in areas where combat has disrupted normal cellphone services.
Reports from frontline operators indicate that connection issues began surfacing in the past few weeks, with interruptions in service that require constant rebooting for proper functionality. Adverse weather conditions are considered a possible factor contributing to the connection problems, although similar issues have been reported by units across various front lines. The increasing presence of Russian use of Starlink in Ukrainian territories has raised concerns among Ukrainian officials, who have been working with SpaceX and Musk to limit Moscow’s access to the devices on the front lines.
Efforts to crack down on Russian Starlink use have led Ukraine to establish new legal conditions on satellite communications devices, creating a “whitelist” of registered devices authorized for use in Kyiv. SpaceX has sought guidance from the Pentagon on how to balance providing access to Ukrainian forces while restricting Russian forces from utilizing the service in front-line areas. Amidst the delicate diplomatic negotiations behind the scenes, Ukrainian officials have emphasized the importance of implementing the authorized terminal system to both SpaceX representatives and US officials.
Despite the measures taken to restrict Russian access to Starlink, concerns persist among Ukrainian officials regarding potential communication interception or hacking by Russian forces. Ukrainian units have also observed multiple drone strikes against Russian positions where Starlink terminals have been identified, indicating Russian attempts to replicate Ukraine’s success with single-use attack drones. The escalating tensions have prompted US Congressional Oversight Committee Democrats to request an urgent briefing from Starlink on Russian use of the devices, expressing grave concerns about potential illegal use by Moscow in occupied Ukrainian territories.