SpaceX’s move to restrict unverified Starlink terminals disrupted Russian military communications in Ukraine, temporarily weakening coordination and giving Ukrainian forces a tactical advantage.
A decision by SpaceX to restrict access to its Starlink satellite internet network triggered disruption among Russian forces in occupied Ukraine, according to intercepted communications shared with the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. Soldiers complained the service had been switched off, leaving units struggling to coordinate operations after the company began enforcing verification requirements that blocked unregistered terminals.
The outage reduced artillery fire, drone activity and battlefield coordination, Ukrainian reconnaissance units said, enabling Kyiv’s forces to regain territory in the southeast. Starlink developed by Elon Musk has become central to modern battlefield communication, and while Russian shelling later resumed, analysts say the shutdown exposed vulnerabilities in Russian military connectivity and forced reliance on slower alternative systems.