- Category
- Latest news
Ukraine to Disable Unverified Starlink Terminals Amid Reports of Russian Drone Use
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has announced that only verified Starlink terminals will be allowed to operate within the country, as part of a broader effort to prevent the system’s unauthorized use by Russian forces. Unregistered terminals will be disabled.
According to a statement by Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the government, in cooperation with SpaceX, will soon issue public instructions to guide users through the registration process. “The registration process will be simple, fast, and user-friendly,” Fedorov stated.
Ukraine, together with @Starlink, has already taken the first steps that delivered rapid results in countering Russian drones.
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 1, 2026
The next step is implementing a system that will allow only authorized terminals to operate on the territory of Ukraine.
In the coming days, we will…
Fedorov emphasized that Ukraine and Starlink have already taken initial steps to restrict unauthorized use of the satellite internet system, particularly in response to reports that Russian troops have adapted Starlink units for use on strike drones.
“The next step is implementing a system that allows only authorized terminals to function within Ukraine’s territory,” Fedorov wrote on his Telegram channel, adding that unauthorized terminals will be disabled.
Fedorov thanked both Starlink and SpaceX for what he called a “proactive” approach to supporting Ukrainian security objectives.
Reports in Ukrainian and international media have indicated that Russian forces have increasingly employed Starlink systems on unmanned aerial vehicles to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare systems and improve the precision of their attacks.
According to Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Russian drones equipped with Starlink were used in a recent strike targeting a passenger train in Kharkiv region. Following that incident, Ukrainian officials engaged directly with SpaceX to address the issue.
Earlier, SpaceX founder Elon Musk publicly responded to Ukraine’s concerns over the use of Starlink by Russian forces. Reacting to a message from Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on January 30, Musk reposted the statement and replied, “You’re most welcome,” after Fedorov thanked him for addressing the issue of unauthorized or “gray” Starlink terminals allegedly used by Russian troops.
-457ad7ae19a951ebdca94e9b6bf6309d.png)
