Ukraine launches verification procedure of Starlink terminals

Ukraine launches verification procedure of Starlink terminals
Puppies rest beside a Starlink terminal near recently liberated Lyman, Donetsk region, Ukraine, 7 October, 2022.
REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak

Ukraine is creating a white list for Starlink terminals to ensure only verified devices stay active, after officials warned that Russian forces were attempting to use the network during the Ukraine conflict.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Monday that his country is launching a verification procedure for Starlink terminals situated in Ukraine.

He said on Telegram that the government has adopted a resolution on the introduction of a white list, adding that only registered terminals will remain operational.

"Everything else will be disconnected," Fedorov said, noting that the plan will be carried out with SpaceX after reports of "the use of Starlink by the Russians."

He said the Defence Ministry contacted SpaceX "within hours of reports that Russian drones equipped with Starlink connectivity were operating over Ukrainian cities."

Fedorov thanked SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk for what he described as a quick response and the start of work to resolve the issue.

The remarks followed a public call by Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who wrote on social media, urging Musk to stop Russians from using Starlink to target Ukrainian cities.

The Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink-equipped drones to extend strike ranges.

It warned that such mid-range attacks exploit Ukraine's air defence shortages and pose a threat to critical infrastructure.

Starlink cannot be sold or used in Russia because of U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, which enters its fifth year later this month.

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