The Ukrainian military has taken a daring step by using drones to target and destroy Russian Starlink dishes that are being used by Russian forces in the battle. One such drone was shown in a recent Facebook video posted by the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces successfully removing a “enemy” Starlink dish. The dish explodes and breaks apart in the video when a first-person-view (FPV) drone flown by Ukraine falls into it.
The video’s accompanying post emphasizes how Russia’s military uses SpaceX’s satellite communication networks, such as Starlink. Ukraine is aware of this. The Starlink dish was recognized by the 71st Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, who surmised that Russian soldiers had either stolen or smuggled it for their use.
The operations of the Ukrainian military come in reaction to worries expressed by Ukraine regarding the purported use of “thousands” of Starlink dishes by Russian forces, which may have come from unofficial sources. Although SpaceX has prevented the satellite technology from operating in Russia, it is apparently still operational in Ukrainian territory that is under Russian occupation.
Ukraine says it is collaborating with SpaceX to create a software algorithm that will prevent Russia from using Starlink in order to counteract this. It’s still unclear, though, how successful these efforts will be. To prevent Russia from accessing Starlink, Ukraine seems to be using direct gunfire in the interim.
Drones from Ukraine destroyed the Starlink dishes, highlighting the region’s growing use of technology for warfare. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, first refuted rumors that Russian forces were utilizing Starlink dishes. According to SpaceX, it looks into allegations of unlawful use and, if found to be true, deactivates terminals.
Drones being used to target satellite communication equipment during the fight serves as a reminder of how both sides are using developing tactics and technologies.