Russian military seeks Starlink alternatives after access blocked

Russia’s military is scrambling to find alternatives to Starlink satellite internet after access to the network was curtailed, disrupting a key communications system its forces had been using illicitly on the battlefield. Ukraine said last week Starlink terminals being used by Russian troops were deactivated after talks between its defence minister and Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX operates the network.

Ukrainian officials said the change had already begun to affect Russian operations, including the use of drones. Moscow had come to rely on thousands of contraband Starlink terminals smuggled into Russia, often through central Asia, to keep units connected along the frontline.

The system allowed forces to coordinate movements and drone strikes in areas where military radios were unreliable or easily jammed, and units had started fitting drones with Starlink terminals, improving accuracy and making them harder to disrupt electronically.

Russia, Central Asia

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