Russia finds alternative to Starlink, but it could cause problems
Illustrative photo: after the Starlink blockade, the Russian forces are desperately looking for a solution (Getty Images)
After losing access to Starlink terminals, the Russian army began using its own satellite communications at the front. However, it is highly vulnerable, according to a Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman speaking on Hromadske Radio.
The deputy commander of the communications unit of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, with the call sign "Disney," explained that the Russian forces began to panic after their Starlink was blocked. They lost their main means of frontline communication.
"A certain panic started, a certain fuss began. For a while, they even halted some movements and actions because they were not in control of the situation and could no longer communicate properly with their units to explain what actions to take next," he said.
However, the Russian forces do have their own satellite communications. They began deploying it to the front as quickly as possible, but their equipment is significantly different from Starlink — it is large and vulnerable.
The serviceman explained that the latest-generation Starlink is very small and can be placed discreetly, whereas satellite dishes are very large and must be positioned at a height.
"Their satellite dishes are enormous. The satellite dish used by the Russians has to be large and hung somewhere above the trees so that nothing blocks it, and it can receive a signal from their satellites. This makes their satellite communications more noticeable," he noted.
According to "Disney," the Russian army attempted to use such communications two years ago, but the dishes were destroyed. That’s why the enemy switched to Starlink. Now the Russian troops are returning to the "old ways." In a sense, this is even advantageous.
"We will have a better understanding of where their pilots are, where their commanders are, and we will destroy them — destroy them and destroy them," the serviceman concluded.
The Defense Intelligence confirmed that Russian units along the front line have faced massive satellite communication outages, which immediately affected troop command. This created problems for the Russian troops, and their alternatives did not work.
Starlink blockade: Details
Ukraine appealed to SpaceX owner Elon Musk with a request to limit the use of satellite communications by Shahed-type drones following a series of Russian terrorist attacks. In response, Musk said the company was ready to help.
Initially, SpaceX implemented technical restrictions: Starlink modems automatically shut down if the device moved faster than 90 km/h. This significantly complicated their use on drones.
Starting February 5, all unverified terminals stopped working in Ukraine. Both civilian and military users could register their devices — the Ministry of Digital Transformation also announced the launch of a whitelist mode.
