Russia is disrupting Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, a move that could have a big impact on the ongoing war between the two countries.
Soldiers lost access to the web shortly before Russian troops pushed across the Ukrainian northern border this month. This made it difficult for the Ukrainians to share information about the surprise attack, according to The New York Times, which says "the new outages appeared to be the first time the Russians have caused widespread disruptions of Starlink."
Russia has deployed increasingly stronger electronic weapons to degrade Starlink's internet service in Ukraine, where soldiers have used it to communicate with one another, collect intelligence, and conduct drone strikes. The Times notes that if Russia continues to cause widespread Starlink disruptions, it "could make a tactical shift in the conflict."
Historically, Starlink has been able to withstand electronic attacks; however Russia is reportedly using a high-powered radio frequency typically deployed from a vehicle with a large radio tower on top of it. Some have speculated Russia is also conducting attacks through weapons mounted on drones.
An official who leads electronics warfare in Russia told state media last month that Starlink had been added to Russia’s “list of targets.”
Experts have warned that Ukraine is putting itself at risk by being so reliant on the service, especially given the unpredictability of Musk, SpaceX's CEO. The country is reportedly testing new systems as well, but there’s currently no “mass-produced equivalent” for Starlink, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, tells the Times.
On X, previously Twitter, Musk says "SpaceX is spending significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts. This is a tough problem. They have succeeded in shutting down every communications system, except Starlink."
Technically, Starlink isn't available and shouldn't work in Russia, but satellite dishes are reportedly being smuggled in from other countries and connected near the Ukrainian border. In March, the US Department of Defense says it had stopped Russian troops in Ukraine from using Starlink, though the Pentagon said it was "certain Russia will continue to try and find ways to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems."
SpaceX currently owns roughly 60% of all of the active satellites in orbit, according to space technology firm Slingshot Aerospace. The service currently has 2.7 million users globally.