Starlink Satellite Terminals Reportedly Blocked for Russian Military Along the Frontline

On the night of February 4, Russian military forces reportedly experienced a disruption of Starlink satellite communication terminals operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to Russian war correspondents.

This was reported by Russian journalist Ivan Filippov, who runs the Telegram channel "Na Zzzzzapadnom fronte bez peremen."

War correspondents Tatyana Kruglova and Roman Saponkov also reported the disruption. According to Saponkov, approximately 10% of all Starlink terminals along the frontline were blocked. Meanwhile, the administrator of the pro-Russian Z-channel “Tupi4ok Dizaynera” claimed that a significant number of terminals went offline simultaneously, though not all were affected.

The specific regions where Russian forces encountered the disruptions have not been disclosed.

The Ukrainian military actively uses Starlink satellite communication, which SpaceX provided to Kyiv in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russian forces, meanwhile, have been using Starlink terminals in occupied Ukrainian territories, acquiring them through the black market.

Earlier, the Pentagon stated that the US and Ukrainian governments are working with SpaceX to “prevent the illegal use of Starlink terminals by Russia in occupied Ukraine.” In turn, SpaceX has said it deactivates terminals if they are used by a “sanctioned or unauthorized party.”

Previously, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, Kyivstar, has signed an agreement with Starlink, a division of SpaceX, to implement the innovative Direct-to-Cell satellite communication technology.