Ukraine and SpaceX Working Together to Solve Problem of Starlink Use on Russian Drones

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, is already working to solve the problem of Starlink terminals being used on Russian drones.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk responded quickly to the situation.

A few hours after Russian drones with Starlink connectivity appeared over Ukrainian cities, the Defense Ministry team quickly contacted SpaceX and proposed ways to solve the problem.

“Western technology should help the democratic world and protect civilians, not be used to terrorize and destroy peaceful cities,” Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized.

Last year, a Russian reconnaissance UAV Molniya with a Starlink Mini terminal on board was discovered in the Pokrovsk area.

Starlink satellite communication services are officially unavailable in the Russian Federation, so the occupiers are setting up equipment in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

Confirmation of the use of Starlink on the Molniya-2R UAV also appeared on the official website of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

A Starlink Mini satellite terminal model UTA-231 was found on the drone.

This model is compact, fits easily into a backpack, and provides download speeds of over 100 Mbps.

The antenna has an integrated Wi-Fi router, reduced power consumption, and the ability to be powered by direct current.

The use of such a system allows the impact of electronic warfare measures to be partially neutralized.

In January, Ukraine’s air defense forces intercepted a Russian BM-35 drone for the first time, which was controlled via a Starlink satellite terminal.