Amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, SpaceX's Starlink system has emerged as a vital communication lifeline for Ukraine. However, allegations have surfaced that Russia, too, is leveraging this same technology. According to Ukrainian media reports, despite assurances from the U.S. Pentagon about thwarting any illicit use of Starlink by Russian forces, Russian drones persist in employing the Starlink satellite network for navigation, with their fuselages conspicuously outfitted with Starlink hardware. For example, Ukraine uncovered a crashed Russian 'Molniya' attack drone that was fitted with a Starlink mini-terminal on its upper part. Earlier, suspicions arose that Russian 'Geranium-136' drones and RD-8 drone motherships might also be controlled via Starlink. The Pentagon, in collaboration with SpaceX, has made efforts to bar Russian forces from utilizing Starlink. Yet, the impact of these measures has been constrained, as Russia has managed to procure terminals through third-party nations and manipulate information to keep deploying the technology on the battlefield.
