For several weeks, Ukrainian forces have had to face internet problems, to which Russia is no stranger.
When Russia finally crosses the border into northern Ukraine in early May 2024, Ukrainians know there is nothing they can do. The 92nd assault brigade must in fact face a cut in the network of Starlink satellites which have been flying over the front for several months.
Starlink outage orchestrated by Russia
Starlink is a vital part of the Ukrainian army, particularly because satellites allow soldiers to communicate and collect intelligence, while launching drone attacks. Without these flying objects from Elon Musk and SpaceX, it is impossible to quickly share information while traditional telecom systems have no longer been operational since the launch of the Russian invasion.
But according to the New York Times, which is carrying out a vast investigation, Russia is directly involved in these outages. A first, but one which could have a decisive impact on the conflict still ongoing, more than two years after the start of the war.
The American daily points out Ukraine’s dependence on Starlink, but also the reliability of SpaceX, although assisted by several Western countries, including the United States.
On Wednesday May 22, Ukrainian Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov warned of new and advanced technology from Russia to attack the Starlink network, even though it had so far managed to avoid interference on the battlefield. .
“Russia is now testing different mechanisms to disrupt the quality of Starlink connections because they are important to us,” explained the minister, while SpaceX did not wish to comment on these allegations.
In Russia, interviewed by state media, army officials explained that they had placed Starlink on the list of potential targets, in particular to develop countermeasures.
Soldiers forced to text
What is certain is that the connection was cut a few hours before the attack, revealed a deputy commander of the battalion present on site. When drone attacks were planned, officers on the scene faced exceptional slowness, putting them at a serious disadvantage. The soldiers had to go through text messages which took a while to arrive, explains the New York Times.
Karie A. Bingen, a former US Department of Defense official, said the Russians were able to use a high-intensity radio frequency to overwhelm the links, probably through a large radio tower equipped accordingly.
In recent months, the Starlink network has suffered further disruptions, notably due to limitations imposed by the service so that it does not fall into the hands of Russian forces. In addition, some electronic weapons were able to confuse Starlink’s GPS signals – which allow satellites to locate dishes on the ground – with others.
Despite all the precautions, and the importance taken by Elon Musk in this conflict – the billionaire is in direct contact with Ukraine’s allies, Starlink is also used by Russia, which goes through third parties to supply itself in parables. So far, the entrepreneur has always denied this information.
