Starlink failure within Russian army: Ukrainian partisan group reports command collapse

''Our sources from the 122nd Motor Rifle Regiment (Kupiansk direction) and the 1152nd Regiment (Zaporizhzhia direction) report the same situation — troop command is effectively paralyzed,'' the publication says.

Due to an almost complete failure of Starlink terminals within Russian units, Russian communications specialists are in a state of desperation. In particular:

• Attempts to deploy backup communication channels are failing one after another;

• Standard electronic warfare systems are regularly jamming signals, including their own radios.

''Without stable communication on the front line, chaos begins. The lack of coordination is already leading to heavy losses — and not only from the enemy,'' Atesh writes.

Thus, in the Zaporizhzhia direction, a case of ''friendly fire'' occurred due to a complete breakdown in communications. Russian units, having no information about each other, opened fire on their own forces. As a result, they themselves destroyed their assault group of 12 personnel.

''The Russian army's dependence on civilian technologies has turned against it. Once communication disappears, command collapses, and troops begin to destroy themselves,'' the partisan movement emphasized.

What happened

On January 23, information emerged that Russian forces were increasingly using drones equipped with Starlink to bypass Ukrainian air defense.

Immediately afterward, the Ministry of Defense, together with SpaceX, began implementing countermeasures. In particular, it was reported that authorized terminals would operate only in stationary mode and with speed restrictions while moving.

Soon, it became known that Ukrainian forces must promptly verify Starlink terminals used for defensive purposes; their operation would not be allowed to continue.

This blocking led to serious problems for the Russian army in recent days. In particular, troop command became more difficult, and assault operations were partially halted.