Russian troops in Ukraine have lost access to Starlink internet terminals after Kyiv and SpaceX moved to block unauthorised Russian use, a disruption Ukrainian officials described as a major blow to Moscow’s battlefield operations.
Ukraine says Russian units had been using thousands of illicit Starlink connections since 2022. The scale of the outage could not be verified, but three Ukrainian sources said the disruption appeared significant.
Ukraine said last week it was working with Elon Musk's SpaceX to block the use of Starlink terminals used on Russian attack drones and was trying to compile a "white list" of all Ukraine's terminals so the Russian ones could be turned off.
"Starlinks included in the 'white list' are working - Russian terminals have already been blocked," Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on Telegram, adding that the list was still being updated.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk said on Sunday that moves by SpaceX to stop the unauthorised use of Starlink by Russia "seemed to have worked."
A Russian military blog said that "Two Majors", had said there had been a big failure of Starlink terminals on the Russian side that started on Wednesday evening.
A Ukrainian military source said Russian units were switching to RS-30M satellite terminals.
“I am sure that the accuracy and number of hits are decreasing,” the source said.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the defence minister, described the situation as a “catastrophe” for Russian troops. “All command of the troops has collapsed. Assault operations have been stopped in many areas,” he wrote on Telegram.
Another Ukrainian source on the eastern front said Russian forces faced “significant problems with communication” and that almost all Starlink links on their side were offline.
Ukraine relies on tens of thousands of Starlink units for communications and drones. Russia’s usage remains unclear, though estimates in early 2024 suggested the figure was in the thousands.
Kyiv recently found Starlink terminals on long-range drones used in Russian attacks, prompting its request for SpaceX assistance.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million peop...
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S...
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships ...
The U.S. plans to seek the redirection of Iranian assets to Gulf states to help fund reconstruction and repairs for damage attributed to Iran, a sourc...
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said....
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
For about three decades after the Soviet collapse, Armenia anchored its foreign and security policy to Moscow.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels operating in Ukrainian waters on Saturday, leaving several people injured.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, private‑sector representatives and banking officials, in an effort to boost investment and deepen economic ties with Washington.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment