Ukraine: Starlink used by Putin’s forces near frontline

Intercepted conversations between Russian troops in the occupied Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine indicate they had Starlink devices installed for internet access, the Ukrainian defense ministry intelligence directorate said Sunday on its website.

“This is starting to become systemic,” the RBC-Ukraine news site quoted military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov as saying on Saturday about Russian forces’ use of Starlink.

Talk about Russian troops using the satellite service bubbled up on Ukrainian social networks and media last week. Starlink Inc. isn’t active in Russia, meaning the service will not work in that country, the company said Thursday on Musk’s X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military.

Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If…

— Starlink (@Starlink) February 8, 2024

Starlink’s statement didn’t specify whether the prohibition would also apply to the four large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed in 2022, where hundreds of thousands of Russian troops are believed to be deployed. In the past it has restricted the use of internet services in Russian-occupied territories.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Sunday, citing Ukraine’s military intelligence, that Russian forces are using the satellite internet system in occupied Ukraine.

Musk activated the Starlink satellite service in Ukraine during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, responding to Kyiv’s plea. Soon, the devices became a vital part of the country’s infrastructure,…