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Ukrainian Cyber Activists Target Russian Troops Seeking to Restore Starlink Communications
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukrainian cyber activists have reported conducting an operation targeting Russian forces attempting to restore Starlink satellite communications by recruiting Ukrainian citizens, as reported by the 256th Cyber Assault Division on February 12.
According to the group, Russian military personnel have been searching for so-called “drops” among Ukrainian civilians—individuals willing, for financial compensation, to activate Russian Starlink terminals in their own names.
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The unit claims that a sudden shift away from Western communication systems caused a collapse in Russian battlefield communications, leading to stalled assaults and reduced drone activity on several front-line sectors.
“Understanding how desperately this mold would look for ways to restore the operation of Elon Musk’s dish and the threats this poses, we, together with InformNapalm and MILITANT, decided to ‘help’ them and created a network of channels and bots offering activation services for a modest reward,” the statement said.
Over the course of one week, the group reported receiving 2,420 data packages containing information on Russian Starlink terminals and precise enemy positions, 31 inquiries from individuals willing to act as “drops” for activation, and $5,870 in donations from Russian servicemen seeking to resolve their communication problems.
The group added that data on Ukrainian citizens who expressed willingness to cooperate is now being processed by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
Funds obtained during the operation, according to the statement, will be used to support ongoing fundraising campaigns for Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
The operation unfolded as reports emerged of disruptions to Russian access to Starlink satellite internet on the front line. According to a senior NATO official cited by The Moscow Times, Ukrainian forces have begun making gains in the Zaporizhzhia region after Russian units reportedly lost connectivity to the system.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the loss of Starlink had weakened Russia’s operational command and control capabilities, adding that any substitute Moscow attempts to deploy is unlikely to match its effectiveness.
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Pro-war Russian military bloggers had previously cautioned that cutting off Starlink would seriously damage frontline coordination, with some describing the system as indispensable for communications and battlefield management. The Moscow Times noted that the terminals used by Russian forces were operating illegally, having been smuggled in from abroad and activated on the basis that they were technically located in occupied Ukrainian territory.
Earlier, a well-known presenter on Russian state television urged the detonation of a nuclear device in space to disable SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network after the company reportedly took steps to prevent Russian forces in Ukraine from using the system.
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-37e9d3466ce8ec783fb1af2c86330c5c.jpg "A part of a Russian Geran drone with a Raspberry Pi single-board computer from the UK. (Source: Polkovnik Gsh)")
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
