Terror over Starlink: Russia pressures families of POWs to restore drone communications
Russians attempt to bypass Starlink terminal blocks (photo: Getty Images)
Russians are seeking a replacement for blocked Starlink systems and are forcing families of prisoners of war to register terminals in their own names, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.
The Defense Ministry of Ukraine, in cooperation with SpaceX, managed to disable illegal Starlink terminals that Russians used to control kamikaze drones.
"Seeking a way out of the difficult situation they found themselves in, occupiers turned attention to families of prisoners of war. Cases of threats and demands to officially register Starlink terminals in their own names have been recorded. This equipment is then supposed to be used against Ukraine and Ukrainians," the statement said.
Coordination Headquarters for Treatment of Prisoners of War stressed that Russians are exploiting the vulnerability of POW families, for whom they are a one-time resource. In addition, official registration of the enemy terminal makes it possible to identify the person who did it.
"If a terminal is used to control drones that destroy infrastructure and take lives, the fact of registering a terminal by a Ukrainian citizen is grounds for criminal liability," the statement said.
It recently became known that Russia is increasingly using Starlink on drones. This allowed them to bypass Ukrainian air defense and electronic warfare systems.
After that, Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he promptly contacted SpaceX to resolve this issue.
Later, the Ministry of Digital Transformation reported that Ukraine is introducing a whitelist. It refers to a list of verified Starlink terminals that would work stably for every Ukrainian user, but not for the enemy.
The adviser to Defense Ministry head Serhii Beskrestnov (callsign Flash) said Russian forces are looking for ways to activate Starlink terminals at the front.
