Russia Uses Starlink For Military Purposes

Ilon Musk faces a daunting task.

Russia's use of Starlink satellite terminals on strike drones has significantly complicated Ukraine's electronic warfare efforts and presented SpaceX and its owner Ilon Musk with a difficult dilemma, writes The National Interest (translated by Charter97.org).

At the beginning of the war, Russia tried to deny Ukraine communications by striking telecommunications infrastructure. However, these attempts proved ineffective: Ukraine gained access to Starlink satellite internet, which allowed it to maintain troop control and actively use drones, circumventing Russian interference.

Over time, Moscow adapted. The Russian military began integrating Starlink terminals into its own drones, using the same "civilian" service used by Ukraine. This allowed Russian drones to significantly reduce their vulnerability to Ukrainian electronic suppression equipment and improve the accuracy of their strikes.

According to Ukrainian sources, such solutions were primitive at first, but Starlink is now fully integrated into a number of Russian strike systems, including Molniya-2 barrage munitions. One of the downed drones demonstrated to Western journalists had a satellite terminal installed, providing constant communication with the operator.

Starlink was originally created as a civilian system for internet access in hard-to-reach regions. However, its actual use in combat has turned the network into an element of modern warfare. At the same time, SpaceX cannot cut off Russia's access without simultaneously affecting Ukraine, which makes the situation particularly complicated.

In response to the militarization of Starlink, Musk launched a separate project called Starshield, a satellite system designed exclusively for U.S. military needs. Nevertheless, the question of further use of Starlink in the conflict remains open and increasingly acute.

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