a satellite internet delivery system and division of Elon Musk’s Space-X aerospace company, has played a pivotal role in the Russia-Ukraine war, starting as early as February 2022, when satellite internet services were activated in Ukraine to replace domestic networks destroyed or degraded during the Russian attack. From June 2023 Starlink costs for Ukraine are covered by the US Department of Defense through a related contract with Space-X.
Use of Starlink by the Russians as well
Starlink has largely replaced encrypted military communications. It has, however, refused to extend its presence in some Russian-held areas, such as Crimea, which has been criticized by Ukrainians as preventing a Ukrainian recapture of those areas. Russia, for its part, initially tried to cause interference with Starlink services in Ukraine, and later began to acquire Starlink terminals through third countries for the purpose of unauthorized use of the satellite system.
Russia’s attitude was, therefore, twofold. On the one hand, it considers the commercial satellites that help Ukraine to be legitimate targets and resorts to electronic interference (jamming) on the internet and especially on Starlink on Ukrainian territory. On the other hand, Russia also uses Starlink terminals, which it has acquired, in order to increase the range of drone attacks, make them more accurate and more difficult to undergo electronic interference (jamming) by the Ukrainians. With their use there is a possibility for complete mapping of the field in real time with information on the positions of the soldiers and on the physiology of the battlefield. Starlink use dates back to 2025 and offers the ability to bypass Ukrainian anti-drone technology.
Ukrainian hackers stole critical information
Ukraine’s response to Russia’s use of Starlink terminals was to ask Elon Musk’s company Space-X to introduce a registration requirement for the use of Starlink on Ukrainian territory, which would take place on the territory of free Ukraine by presenting users’ passports. Unregistered devices were blocked and Russians using them at the front were “blinded”.
In some cases, Russians tried to buy Ukrainians off the registration. But there was also a reverse operation: Ukrainians presented themselves as alleged traitors and demanded Russians to be paid in cryptocurrency in order to grant the possibility of similar registration. However, during this interaction, the Ukrainians, acting as hackers, managed to intercept Russian coordinates, including headquarters, command points and positions of drone operators. The coordinates were then handed over to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine or nearby Ukrainian brigades. In doing so, important Russian positions were exposed and made vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes.
Her role Space–X in the spring 2026 Ukrainian counteroffensive
Similar failures in the communication of Russian troops with each other were decisive for the Ukrainian spring counteroffensive that began in April 2026. As Space-X managed to stop the Russians from illegally accessing its systems, the Ukrainians were able to exploit the gaps in Russian communications that followed, in order to retake ten to twelve kilometers in south front.
This re-promotion was made possible because on the southern front the Russians now had maps that did not correspond to the actual situation of the front. In many cases the Russians used improvised solutions to regain communications, which made the situation worse as Russian forces became even more visible.
The general trend, however, is the greater use of domestic terminals by Russia. Although the substitution is expected to be successful in the long term, in the short term there were deficits in communications that aided the Ukrainian recapture. This has led Ukraine’s Western allies to focus on electronic warfare systems, denial of access to communications systems and information sharing as the most critical areas of the war. It is considered that the summer of 2026 is critical in this regard, i.e. the period when Ukraine will maintain a relative advantage.
Why are the Russians blocking it? Telegram
A related problem for Russia’s war effort is the restriction of the Telegram application by the Russian state, with the justification that it was used for sabotage, for terrorist attacks inside Russian territory, for the recruitment of executioners, but also for financial fraud aimed at Russian citizens.
It was also decisive that Pavel Durov, the managing director of Telegram, a Russian who does not hold a French passport, had been arrested in France and his subsequent release was interpreted as a collusion with the French authorities. Critics of the Russian regime, however, see these restrictions on online applications as an attempt at greater state control over Russian citizens. But the restrictions on the Telegram app have also had consequences for Russian soldiers on the frontline, who use it to exchange information.
Besides, Telegram was seen as a main means of Russian soft power and the spread of pro-government ideology. Telegram is by far the most popular application in Russia and its restriction, even after the blocking of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, which has already happened in 2022, has caused unprecedented discomfort in the Russian urban population and even in young people. Of course, to a large extent the banned apps are accessible to Russians through VPNs.
The “MAX» as a mandatory Russian application
The Russian government is trying to force the state app ‘MAX’ to replace Telegram and other apps. The fact that electronic signatures take place through this application makes it necessary for professionals, while a corresponding obligation has also been acquired for teachers. In this way, the “MAX” application is typical of a trend of nationalization of digital technology, which is consistent with the creation of national blocs on the internet, in reverse to the logic of globalization based on free online services. The use of the internet thus emerges as a central stake, both warlike and political.
