Ukrainian Defense Ministry technical advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov stated on Wednesday that the Russian military forces, after having their satellite communications cut off due to Elon Musk’s actions to shut down illegally purchased Starlink terminal devices on the black market, have ceased attacks on multiple frontlines.
Beskrestnov pointed out on the social media platform Telegram, “The enemy on the front lines is facing a disaster. All command and control systems have been destroyed. Many areas have ceased their attack operations.” He further added that the issue only arose among the Russian military units using unregistered Starlink terminals.
Russian military propaganda and pro-Kremlin media reports confirmed the interruptions in the Starlink network within the Russian army, specifically noting that the forces in the Kupyansk area lost satellite communication with no alternative systems in place.
Russian sources revealed that some units had to resort to using paper maps and messengers carrying storage devices to relay information between units.
The disruption in the Russian military’s satellite network was due to the decision made by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to shut down unregistered Starlink terminals.
At the end of January, Beskrestnov discovered that Russian forces were using Starlink satellite receivers in suicide drones targeting Ukrainian objectives. On January 29, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov disclosed that they were collaborating with SpaceX to prevent Russian drones from utilizing the Starlink network.
On February 1, Musk confirmed that the measures to prevent Russian drones from using Starlink had been successful. Starlink engineers implemented updates to software and hardware within 48 hours, shutting down all illegally purchased Starlink terminals operating in the Ukrainian region on the grey and black markets. Verification of all Starlink terminals within Ukraine began on February 2, allowing only registered devices to operate.
Ukrainian Independent News Agency (UNIAN) cited sources on Thursday confirming that Russian offensive actions had slowed down or even come to a halt in certain areas. The report stated, “In reality, the command and control of the affected Russian units have collapsed.”
The Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) General Staff confirmed in their situation update on Thursday that the intensity of battles across the entire frontline had decreased.
Starlink satellite communications were widely utilized by both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, especially in frontline areas where conventional power grids and civilian mobile networks may not function. At the frontlines, Starlink often serves as the sole means for unit commanders to update maps, track forces, and gather intelligence on the enemy.
Starlink Corporation prohibits the sale of its services in Russia, yet the Kremlin circumvents this restriction by purchasing terminals on the black market or through third-party countries.
The verification measures implemented for Starlink terminals also affected some Ukrainian units using grey market terminals, particularly the National Guard and territorial defense forces.
Beskrestnov stated on Thursday that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was in the process of registering terminal devices for affected units to swiftly restore satellite internet access. He explained, “This is our only way to protect the country from Russian drone attacks controlled by Starlink.”