Russia Organized Starlink Supply for Its Military Through the UAE and Fake Declarations

Russia set up a supply chain for U.S.-made Starlink terminals by manipulating customs declarations and product certification records.

According to Nordsint, a journalistic investigation discovered that some of the devices entered Russia not through direct sales from the manufacturer, but via a network of licensed suppliers and intermediaries operating in neighboring countries.

An error in the documentation enabled the identification of one of the intermediaries and the tracing of the equipment’s origin that ultimately reached Russia. In particular, Starlink terminals were declared as “other electronic components” or registered as civilian-use goods.

This method of supply makes it significantly more difficult to enforce sanctions and export controls.

Despite SpaceX’s official statements that it does not sell to Russia, the enemy has been successfully using this extensive “parallel import” system and activating accounts through third countries.

For example, in June 2025, Starlink Maritime kits were declared using the address of the Dutch company Castor Marine, and earlier documents even listed the address of a Tesla dealership in Amsterdam.

The UAE serves as a key logistics hub, particularly the company Emaross Group FZE, whose labeling was found directly on the packaging of terminals advertised by Russian volunteers for the needs of the so-called “special military operation.” Similar schemes operate through Hong Kong and the company Di Global Limited, which is linked to the distribution of DJI drones.

This network allows the invaders to freely purchase equipment on Russian domestic marketplaces such as Ozon and Wildberries. At the same time, specialized dealers even offer bulk supplies and advice on how to conceal antennas.

It is also worth noting that tracking the supply of these terminals is difficult because some devices sent as part of humanitarian or government missions ended up in areas controlled by Russian forces or on the secondary market.

In addition, Russians have started installing Starlink terminals on their own drones. For example, in December 2025, the use of Starlink on the Molniya-2R UAV was confirmed, as shown on the official page of a project linked to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

According to the published photos, the equipment installation is not improvised. The presence of standard mounting points indicates a systematic, organized process.