Starlink terminals helped Russia advance on front and capture Vuhledar - WP
Starlink terminals helped Russia advance on front (photo: Getty Images)
Illegal Starlink terminals helped Russia advance on the frontline. In particular, they helped the Russians capture Vuhledar, reports The Washington Post.
The newspaper notes that the Ukrainian army used to have the main advantage over the Russians, who were more numerous and better armed, - access to the Internet through Starlink terminals, but now it is also used by the Russians.
Illegal Starlink terminals allow Russians to use satellite Internet:
- to improve coordination during assaults
- to carry out more flights of drones
- to hit Ukrainian troops with precision artillery fire.
Starlink terminals, which give commanders the ability to see the battlefield in real-time using drones and provide secure communication between the military, are subject to a ban on the supply of American electronics to Moscow.
However, the newspaper writes that, according to the Ukrainian military, there is a successful black market for Starlink terminals to the Russians at the front, and their distribution has been an important factor in Russia's recent offensive victories.
An officer from the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which had been defending the Vuhledar area since 2022 and was recently forced to retreat, cited Russia's use of Starlink as one of the important factors, along with a lack of manpower and weapons, that hastened the fall of Vuhledar.
During the ongoing war, information has repeatedly emerged that the Russians are actively using Starlink in the war against Ukraine.
Moreover, it has recently emerged that the Russians have installed Starlink satellite communications in their Shahed attack drones. This allows the enemy to use the drones for reconnaissance as well.
