US tech titan Elon Musk’s transfer to chop Russian entry to his Starlink satellites over Ukraine has in all probability disrupted Russian forces’ tactical command and restricted their offensive capability, however the warfare goes on.
Linking Russian drones to the Starlink satellites operated by Musk’s SpaceX firm makes them extra correct, extends their vary and makes them tougher to dam.
The satellites are additionally necessary for Russia’s command and management, “the organisation of the operational chain that enables the army on the prime to provide orders to all ranges of duty, right down to the combatants,” mentioned a western army supply.
“All armies which have a bit cash and wish bandwidth use Starlink. It is versatile, it isn’t costly, and it enhances army techniques that don’t enable for elevated bandwidth,” the supply added.
Within the Ukraine battle, the US satellites “gave Russian items real-time management over their forces and drones, to have an summary of the road of contact” so they might make higher choices, Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Ukrainian 429th Achilles Drone Brigade informed Freedom TV.
The satellites are much more necessary as there isn’t a actual entrance line the place the Russia and Ukrainian armies are in touch, in keeping with a high-ranking European officer.
“It’s a ‘kill zone’ a number of kilometers (miles) huge, patrolled by drones, the place small cellular squads function, attempting to strike right here and there,” the officer informed AFP.
“Many Russian troopers consistently transfer by the realm. These are vital factors,” Serhii Beskrestnov, a expertise advisor to the Ukrainian defence ministry, informed AFP.
Ukraine says that blocking Starlink has an unlimited impression on Russian forces. AFP has not been capable of independently assess the fallout.
“For the Russians, this isn’t only a drawback, it’s a disaster,” mentioned Beskrestnov. “We knew that they used Starlink on the entrance”, however “we didn’t consider that it was this significant.”
The Russian facet performed down the implications. Valery Tishkov, a communications official for the Russian army, mentioned that Starlink was solely used marginally and that the military “has all fashionable, domestically-produced communication providers. The operations management system features reliably and ensures the command and management of troops on the entrance.”
In accordance with a number of Ukrainian sources, Russia has sought to pay Ukrainians to organise reputable Starlink accounts that it could possibly then use for its drones on the entrance. Ukraine’s SBU safety service has warned that this can be a crime punishable by a sentence jail of life.
Russia has deployed various options, in keeping with the Ukrainian sources, however these will not be as dependable as Starlink’s low orbiting community. Russia has as an alternative used its Yamal and Specific geo-stationary satellites which can be increased up and there are fewer of them.
“They want a satellite tv for pc receiver geared up with a big parabolic antenna,” mentioned Beskrestnov.
These at the moment are a major goal for Ukrainian forces and Russia has needed to transfer again the antennae by 10-15 kilometers (six to 9 miles) and deploy bolstered wi-fi from the receivers to the entrance strains.
“We are attempting to find these terminals,” mentioned the advisor.
Ukrainian forces regained territory from Russia in February, a uncommon prevalence through the 4 years of warfare once they have regularly misplaced terrain amidst bitter battles which have value hundreds of lives.
On February 5, Russian army observers reported disruption of the Starlink web terminals utilized by Moscow on the entrance strains after Musk took measures following a request from Kyiv.
A senior Ukrainian army official mentioned that counter-attacks had been launched all alongside the entrance line in a single day, however gave no additional particulars.
The US-based Institute for the Examine of Warfare says that Ukrainian forces are in all probability profiting from Russia’s lack of Starlink.
However thus far there have been no dramatic adjustments. The European army supply mentioned that “only a few troops are making direct contact with opposing troopers, and there’s no mechanised fight (which might drive a breakthrough), so progress may be very sluggish.”
Printed – February 20, 2026 09:35 am IST