SpaceX cuts Russia off from Starlinks. The aggressor's drones lose communication

American billionaire Elon Musk said on Sunday that it appears that steps taken by his company SpaceX to prevent unauthorized use of Starlink satellite internet by Russia have proven effective.

“The steps we have taken to prevent unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia appear to have worked. Please let us know if we need to do more,” Musk wrote on X.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Thursday that Ukraine, in cooperation with SpaceX, is taking steps to ensure that Russia stops operating drones using the Starlink internet system. “Western technology must continue to help the democratic world and protect civilians instead of being used for terrorism and the destruction of peaceful cities,” he wrote on X.

According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russian unmanned systems unit Rubikon began using Mołnya drones with Starlinks in December 2025.

The German weekly “Der Spiegel” reported on January 23 that the Russian army is increasingly using Starlinks in drone attacks against Ukraine. According to Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR), these devices are used especially during attacks on civilian infrastructure, increasing their range and precision and hindering the use of anti-drone defense systems. Starlinks are more difficult to jam than global satellite navigation systems such as GPS and Galileo – emphasized HUR. (PAP)

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