Russian drones with Starlink antennas: Ukraine names SpaceX solution proposals
In Ukraine, Russia is now using drones that can be controlled remotely thanks to Starlink. SpaceX is working with Ukraine on a solution.
(Image: Tomas Ragina/Shutterstock.com)
Following increased reports that Russia is now remotely controlling drones used for attacks on Ukraine via Starlink connections, the government in Kyiv has initiated talks with SpaceX to resolve the issue. This was announced by Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Telegram, who also personally thanked Elon Musk. Musk had previously insulted the Polish Foreign Minister after the latter called for countermeasures against the use of Starlink by the Russian military. Remote drone control via Starlink could become a significant problem for Ukraine without countermeasures from SpaceX.
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According to Musk, Russian use violates terms of service
The use of Starlink connections by Russia in its drone attacks on Ukraine, enabling remote control of drones while in the air over Ukraine, has been publicized by, among others, the US think tank ISW (Institute for the Study of War). This allows targets to be attacked almost anywhere in Ukraine, according to a report. An advisor to Fedorov posted photos of a seized Starlink antenna on Telegram. This is a problem for Ukraine because Starlink connections are difficult to jam. This is precisely why Starlink is particularly popular with the Ukrainian military, but the service also enables communication behind the front lines where all other communication networks are interrupted.
The Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also drew attention to the problem. On the microblogging service X, he personally addressed Starlink CEO Elon Musk. He wrote, "Hey, great man [...], doing business with war crimes could damage your brand." The US billionaire apparently did not want to let this polemical criticism stand. In a response, he called the politician a "drooling idiot." He claimed the politician didn't know that Starlink was the backbone of Ukrainian military communication. He further wrote that Starlink's terms of service do not permit offensive military use. However, he did not explain how he intends to enforce this with the Russian military.
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Ukraine's particular reliance on Starlink in its defensive fight against the Russian war of aggression has been known for years. Satellite internet has long replaced a large part of the communication infrastructure destroyed by the fighting. Not only the country's troops depend on the technology functioning, but also hospitals, schools, and other institutions communicate via it. In total, according to a report from the fall, Ukraine has received more than 50,000 additional Starlink antennas since the first ones shortly after the Russian invasion in early 2022, with more than half of them reportedly supplied by Poland.
(mho)
