Ukrainian officials say Starlink terminals used by Russian forces were deactivated after Kyiv worked with SpaceX to block unauthorised devices, a move Kyiv says disrupted some Russian assault operations. Multiple Ukrainian sources and a Russian military blog reported widespread outages beginning on Wednesday evening, though Reuters could not independently confirm the full scale. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said white-listed Ukrainian Starlinks remain active while Russian terminals have been blocked, and officials say some Russian units are attempting to switch to RS-30M domestic terminals.
Ukraine Says SpaceX Helped Deactivate Starlink Units Used By Russian Forces, Hobbles Assaults
A Starlink satellite internet system near the frontline town of Bakhmut amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukraine March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
KYIV, Feb 5 (Reuters) — Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that Starlink satellite internet terminals being used by Russian troops in Ukraine were deactivated, a move Kyiv described as a significant battlefield setback that disrupted some assault operations.
Kyiv has long accused Russian forces of making unauthorised use of thousands of Starlink connections for secure communications since the 2022 invasion. Ukrainian officials said they were working with SpaceX to identify and protect legitimate Ukrainian terminals — compiling a "white list" — while blocking devices being used by Russian forces or mounted on attack drones.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the scale of the disruption, but multiple Ukrainian sources and a Russian military blog reported widespread outages beginning on Wednesday evening. Elon Musk said SpaceX's measures to curb unauthorised Russian use of Starlink "appeared to have worked," while SpaceX did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Operational Impact At The Front
A Ukrainian military source near the front said many Starlink units used by Russian formations were offline and that Russian units were attempting to switch to domestically produced RS-30M satellite terminals. The source added: "It still takes more time to fully assess the impact. But I am sure that the accuracy and number of hits (from attacks) are decreasing."
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's defence minister, wrote on Telegram: "Starlinks included in the 'white list' are working — Russian terminals have already been blocked."
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the defence minister, described the disruption as a catastrophe for Russian forces: "All command of the troops has collapsed. Assault operations have been stopped in many areas."
Another Ukrainian army source on the eastern front told Reuters that Russian units were experiencing severe communications problems and that almost all Starlink connections used by those forces were off. If confirmed, the disruption would mark a notable success for Defence Minister Fedorov, who as digital minister in 2022 persuaded SpaceX to expand Starlink coverage for Ukraine and supply terminals after the invasion.
Context And Uncertainties
Kyiv's military relies on tens of thousands of Starlink connections for battlefield communications and for piloting some attack drones. It remains unclear how many terminals Russian forces operate in Ukraine; a former Ukrainian military intelligence chief estimated the number in the thousands in early 2024, though Starlink has repeatedly said it does not do business in or with Russia.
Ukraine reported last week that it had discovered Starlink terminals on long-range drones used in Russian strikes, prompting Kyiv to appeal to SpaceX for technical help. Moscow has made slow battlefield advances since late 2023 amid U.S.-brokered talks with Ukraine aimed at ending the war.
Reporting by Reuters with additional reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Anna Pruchnicka; Edited by Daniel Flynn and Timothy Heritage.
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