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How Russia Is Using Starlink for War—Smuggled Through UAE and Dutch Dealers

3 min read
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Photo of Ivan Khomenko
Ivan Khomenko
News Writer
Starlink dish and router pictured on February 12, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)
Starlink dish and router pictured on February 12, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Despite official sanctions and SpaceX’s repeated denials of selling to Russia, Russian military forces have acquired and deployed Starlink satellite internet terminals in Ukraine using a network of third-party resellers, falsified customs declarations, and distributors operating through the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong.

According to Nordsint, a recent investigation has traced the procurement pathways of these systems through conformity documents, shipping labels, and online marketplace activity.

Throughout 2025, Russian companies continued to file conformity declarations for Starlink hardware using misleading product descriptions, such as “other electronic components,” or falsely registering them as civilian-use items.

In some cases, the declared manufacturer was not SpaceX, but other entities, and addresses listed in official filings often belonged to intermediaries.

For instance, a June 27, 2025 declaration for a “Starlink Marine Navigation Kit” listed the manufacturer’s address as Rijnzathe 4, 3454 PV De Meern, the Netherlands—headquarters of Castor Marine, a maritime communication firm and official Starlink Maritime reseller. An earlier record from July 2024 referenced the address of a Tesla dealership in Amsterdam.

Nordsint also reports that Emaross Group FZE, a Sharjah-based logistics company in the UAE, has been directly linked to shipments of Starlink terminals. A declaration from May 13, 2024, listed Emaross as the manufacturer.

Matching shipping labels featuring the Emaross Cargo logo were published by the Russian Telegram channel, which advertises Starlink terminals for Russian military use. The packages included the company’s website, suggesting it served as a logistics hub for these shipments.

Additional supply chains were identified through filings from Novosibirsk-based LLC. On March 6, 2025, the company submitted declarations naming “Di Global Limited” as the manufacturer, using an address in Hong Kong linked to Sun Secretarial Services.

Though the address also appears in local telecom licensing databases, business registries list a different registered office. Di Global, according to its website, distributes electronics including DJI drones and other consumer devices.

These networks have made Starlink hardware widely available inside Russia, including on e-commerce platforms such as Ozon and Wildberries. Certain vendors market them specifically for use by troops in Ukraine. One of the most prominent retailers, Valentina Vashchukova, is listed in multiple Russian conformity declarations.

Her business advertises wholesale purchases and links to a Telegram channel with over 270,000 subscribers. The website claims to offer direct deliveries from Dubai and Hong Kong, consistent with the conformity filings reviewed by Nordsint.

Starlink terminals have also been observed in operational use on Russian UAVs. In December 2025, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published images showing the Molniya-2 drone equipped with a mounted Starlink antenna. According to HUR, these modified drones were used to conduct strikes near Poltava.

Earlier, on March 14, 2025, Vedomosti reported that Russia plans to launch its own version of Starlink in the Arctic, with a pilot project by Bureau 1440 set to begin in 2026. The system will use low-orbit satellites to provide internet access in remote regions, starting with the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

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