Russia attacked Starlink with secret technology before the attack on the Kharkov region, - NYT
Date: 2024-05-24 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
Russia is increasingly interfering with Ukraine's Starlink service, using advanced technology to interfere with Elon Musk's satellite internet service. This led to new disruptions on the northern front line.
According to The New York Times, before Russia advanced into the Kharkov region, soldiers of the 92nd Air Assault Brigade lost a vital resource - the Starlink satellite Internet service that soldiers use to communicate, gather intelligence and conduct drone attacks was extremely slow.
Starlink has been critical to the Ukrainian army since the early days of the war. Without full-fledged operation of the terminals, they could not quickly communicate and share operational information. This is exactly what happened on the new northern front line.
What is at the root of the failures?
According to the publication, the failures are based on increased interference from Russia. Before the attack on the Kharkiv region, the Russians used powerful electronic weapons and more sophisticated tools to degrade the quality of Starlink service. These achievements pose a serious threat to Ukraine.
"These actions have caused massive disruptions to Starlink's operations. If they (the Russians) continue to succeed, it could signal a tactical shift in the conflict, emphasizing Ukraine's vulnerability and dependence on services provided by Ilon Musk's company. As the U.S. and other governments cooperate with SpaceX, the failures raise broader questions about Starlink's reliability against a technically sophisticated adversary," the publication wrote.
Starlink transmits internet connections from satellites orbiting the Earth. The signals are received by terminals on the ground and then distribute the connection, like a Wi-Fi router, to laptops, phones and other devices nearby. Starlink has been providing vital internet service to Ukraine since 2022, and soldiers rely on it, in particular to control drones.
Russia tests "weapons" against Starlink
Ukraine's Minister of Digital Technologies Mikhail Fedorov said that Russia's recent attacks on Starlink were aimed at using new and more advanced technologies. Previously, the service withstood interference extremely well, in particular the influence of electronic warfare.
"But the Russians are now testing various mechanisms to disrupt the quality of Starlink connections, because this is very important to us," Fedorov said.
According to him, Ukraine constantly communicated with SpaceX to solve problems. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.
An official leading Russia's electronic warfare efforts told state media last month that the military had put Starlink on a "target list" and had developed capabilities to counter the service.
While Fedorov said Starlink service should improve soon, military and officials said some of the outages were caused by Russian attacks. According to them, any failures at critical moments on the battlefield put the Ukrainian army at an even greater disadvantage.
“We are losing in the electronic battle. The day before the attacks, it (Starlink) turned off and became super slow,” said the deputy commander of the 92nd Achilles strike drone battalion", call sign “Ajax.”
The glitches put the entire unit at a disadvantage, the drone operator said. Cartel During the first armored attacks of the Russian offensive this month, drones began striking, but the network connection disappeared. Soldiers had to use text messages to communicate, and they were sent late.
"In the first hours, the front line was very dynamic. The enemy was moving. And we were moving too. We had to communicate quickly," Cartel said.
What affects Starlink?
Kari Bingen, a former Pentagon official and electronic warfare expert, said Starlink and other satellite communications could be disrupted by the use of high-power radio frequencies to overload connections. According to her, stealth attacks are usually carried out from a vehicle with a large radio tower.
Explanations for Starlink failures in Ukraine over the past year vary. Several experts said Russia has become better at interfering with the signal between satellites and Starlink ground terminals with powerful and precise jamming. Others suggested that the service was disrupted by special electronic weapons mounted on drones that could confuse Starlink's GPS signals.
A sharp increase in Starlink usage could also degrade service. In some cases, technical restrictions aimed at preventing Russian troops from using Starlink have harmed the Ukrainian military's service on the front lines. At other times, outages can be more random, such as earlier this month when SpaceX reported service problems worldwide due to solar storms.
"Starlink has given Musk enormous influence in the war as he controls where satellite services are available and can decide to cut off access. In some cases, Ukrainian officials have approached Musk directly to enable access to Starlink during military operations so they can carry out strikes drones through enemy lines - requests that the billionaire did not always approve of. The US government, which purchased Starlink terminals for Ukraine, was sometimes drawn into negotiations,” the publication writes.
Starlink is not sold directly to Russia. But this year, Ukrainian officials publicly expressed concern that the Russian Federation was using terminals purchased through intermediaries.
Starlink addiction
Experts warn that Ukraine is overly dependent on one company for such a vital resource, especially one run by someone as unpredictable as Musk. But Ukraine's dependence on Starlink is unlikely to decrease. There are few alternatives for such comprehensive and reliable service.
Fedorov noted that the Ukrainian government is constantly testing new systems. According to him, the military has specialized systems for maritime drones, which have destroyed a number of Russian ships in the Black Sea.
“But of course there is no mass equivalent,” he said.
For the Ukrainian Ajax commander, the loss of Starlink service brought back bad memories of the war. When he fought near the Russian border in 2022, his unit was sometimes cut off from Starlink, disrupting video from drones used to target artillery at a distance. The unit deployed soldiers to covertly observe enemy positions and direct strikes. "It was extremely strange," he said.
