The Washington Post (WP), which reported on October 12, said that Russian forces were using Starlink internet terminals bought on the black market in large numbers on the frontlines of Ukraine, thereby contributing to territorial gains. Elon Musk‘s SpaceX began supplying Starlink terminals for Ukraine shortly after the full invasion, giving Kyiv an important battlefield advantage. The WP reports that the proliferation of Starlink Terminals among Russian frontline troops contributed to Moscow’s recent battlefield victories, including the occupation Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast. The WP reported that an officer from the 72nd Mechanized Brigade – one of the units defending Vuhledar – said, “They just overpowered” us. The officer stated that Russia’s access Starlink, along with the lack of weapons and personnel, was a major factor in the loss. The drone platoon leader of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade stated that Ukraine’s Starlink terminals had previously given them a technological advantage over Russian forces. However, this advantage has now vanished. “Before the Russians could not control some of their maneuvers, artillery and infantry,” said he. When Ukraine intercepted Russian audio transmissions, they observed that soldiers often gave their commanders incorrect or incomplete information. This has changed. “Now they’ll only improve and unfortunately, this is what’s happening everywhere,” he said. Starlink provides faster and more secure communications, making it essential to Ukraine’s ability on the battlefield to communicate. The Russian military’s reliance on radio communication put them at a disadvantage, despite being larger and better-armed. The Pentagon, who financially supports Starlink for the Ukrainian military announced in May 2024 it is working to stop Russian troops from using terminals in Ukraine. John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, said that the U.S. is “heavily engaged in working with the Ukrainian government and SpaceX to combat Russian illicit use of Starlink Terminals” on May 9. Despite these assurances however, Starlink usage has continued to grow across Russian lines during this year. Ukrainian troops near the front-line city Pokrovsk reported seeing Starlinks on Russian positions starting last month. A battalion leader in the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade stated that Russia’s Starlink enabled them to advance towards Pokrovsk. He also said more needs to be done against Russian use of these devices. He said, “It’s something that kills me.” Stacie Pettyjohn is the defense program director for Center for a New American Security. She told the WP that it has become more difficult to disable Russia’s terminals due to the shifting front lines. “Ukrainian troops are in Russia right now.” Where are the frontlines? She said. “If you draw a line as to where the system works and where it does not, you are basically fixing the frontlines where they are. This will prevent the Ukrainians from going offensive. “Disruptions in the access of Ukrainian troops to Starlink have happened before, especially during Russia’s spring offense against Kharkiv Oblast as well as when Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Kursk Oblast last August. Musk has denied that Starlink units were sold to Russia, and stated that Starlink wouldn’t connect to any devices in Russia. Russian soldiers continue to purchase devices via a robust black-market supply chain. According to WP’s analysis, Starlink terminals most often are sold via Telegram. They travel to the front via Moscow. The majority of the terminals are from Europe, and are transported via the United Arab Emirates. Users are warned not to activate their device in Russia. Users must have a foreign email address, phone number, and bank account to activate the terminal. Tymofii is a drone pilot for the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He said that Russian forces seemed to have an abundance of Starlink terminals. “They have many of them.” He said, “They use them the same as we do.”
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