The modern war in Ukraine is primarily a technological war, in which the speed of data exchange and the stability of communication have become as important factors as the number of weapons. From the first days of the full-scale war, Starlink has become the basis of communication for the Ukrainian military. It is a satellite Internet that is almost impossible to turn off or hack using traditional methods.
However, this technology was also available to our enemy. After all, Starlink terminals operate within the administrative borders of Ukraine, including the occupied territories and Crimea. Therefore, when the Russians realized that they could activate terminals in the territories under their control, they began to use it en masse. If in 2024 the cases of use of Starlink terminals by the Russians were isolated, then by the beginning of 2026 it turned into a large-scale system. The enemy learned to use satellite communications to control drones, which allowed them to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare and attack targets at great distances with high accuracy. The tool that was supposed to save lives became a tool for guiding enemy missiles at the critical infrastructure of Ukrainian cities.
Chronology of events: from speed reduction to the emergence of " white lists "
On January 26, 2026, the Russians attacked Ukrainian helicopters in the Kropyvnytskyi area using suicide drones controlled by Starlink satellite communications. This was reported by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov, on his Telegram channel. On the same day, a BM-35 Starlink UAV was also spotted in the Dnipro.
On January 29, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported that the Defense Ministry team had contacted SpaceX and begun work to deny the Russians access to satellite communications.
The next morning, January 30 , Ukrainian users were faced with the fact that at high vehicle speeds, the Internet simply disappeared. For some, this happened at a speed of 140–160 km/h, and in some cases the restriction was triggered at 75–100 km/h. In addition, a warning appeared in the Starlink application regarding the use of terminals in zones of armed conflict. However, official explanations for the situation did not appear immediately, so during this time many different assumptions appeared in the Ukrainian information space, due to which such restrictions were introduced.
Already on January 31, Fedorov, in a post on Telegram, briefly explained what was happening without additional details and apologized for the temporary inconvenience.
The most interesting thing began when February 1st There was official information that Ukraine would introduce a Starlink “whitelist” system. At the time, the Minister of Defense noted that this was the next step in the fight against the Russians’ use of satellite communications to control drones. For his part, Elon Musk also confirmed this information in a post on the social network X.
On February 2, Fedorov announced that the Government had adopted a resolution to introduce a “white list” for authorizing all Starlink terminals. In the evening of the same day, the Ministry of Defense published detailed instructions on Starlink registration for the military, legal entities, and individuals.
Detailed instructions for Starlink verification are already on our blog.
On February 5, Defense Minister Advisor Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov reported that the introduction of terminal verification had yielded significant results: due to the blocking of unauthorized devices, the enemy had critical problems with controlling units. This data was confirmed by Radio Liberty sources in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noting that thanks to Ukraine’s agreement with SpaceX, the number of assaults has decreased in some places, and in some areas they have stopped altogether.
Moreover, thanks to such a technological "blackout" of the occupiers, between February 11 and 15, the Ukrainian military managed to recapture 201 sq. km of territory. This is the fastest pace of advance of Ukrainian forces since June 2023. This became known from an AFP analysis based on data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
As part of security, for individuals, verification takes place at the Central Post Office, and this has become one of the inconveniences of this process. After all, Ukrainians are used to the fact that any government service can be obtained in seconds at “Diya”, without leaving home and without waiting in long lines. Therefore, on February 17, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine announced that the verification process will become even more accessible - individuals can now verify their Starlink at branches of “Nova Poshta” and “Ukrposhta”.
The enemy is looking for workarounds: alternative communication and manipulation of civilians
Before the appearance of the “white lists”, the Russians, despite all the sanctions imposed, received terminals using parallel import schemes. Thus, according to the Nordsint investigation, logistics were established through the UAE, Kyrgyzstan and other countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, which became transit hubs. Therefore, since Russia does not have its own analogues to Musk’s technologies, it was predictable that blocking unauthorized Stralinks would force the occupiers to look for some alternatives to it.
According to Flash, the Russians have begun receiving high-speed satellite internet terminals that they are trying to use instead of Starlink. He highlighted several key features that distinguish them from Musk's satellites:
- all antennas of these terminals are oval or round in shape like a satellite dish for television with a diameter of 60-120 centimeters
- these dishes will face southeast or south (azimuth 110-180 degrees).
- The dishes will be visually open, because at these frequencies a protective cover, like on Starlink, will interfere with operation.
- The plates can be placed deep in the front and connected to the front Wi-Fi bridge.
But finding an alternative to Starlink is not the only method the Russians could use. As the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War recently reported, the enemy has begun pressuring the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war to register Starlink terminals for themselves.
In parallel with these attempts at blackmail, the occupiers continue to look for front persons among Ukrainian citizens to activate their terminals. Therefore, quite recently, specialists of the 256th Cyber Assault Division, together with InformNapalm and MILITANT, conducted a special operation, within the framework of which they created a network of channels and bots that simulated the provision of activation and technical support services. As a result of the operation, 2,420 data packages were received regarding enemy Starlinks and the exact positions of the enemy. 31 appeals were also recorded from individuals who agreed to provide their data for the activation of enemy equipment. In addition, $5,870 was received from the Russian military for the “services”, which have already been directed to closing the current fees for the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
Thanks to the “whitelist” system, Ukrainian intelligence agencies can easily identify anyone who tries to verify equipment for the enemy — whether voluntarily or under the influence of manipulation. Therefore, it is important to understand that if the device is used by the enemy to attack Ukraine, this may lead to criminal liability.
What is happening with Starlink in the world?
US secretly transferred 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran to support protesters
The Trump administration has orchestrated a massive covert operation to ship 6,000 Starlink satellites to Iran to provide communications to dissidents after Tehran jammed communications, The Wall Street Journal reported. It was the first direct intervention of this magnitude by Washington using SpaceX technology on Iranian soil.
To implement this plan, the State Department purchased nearly 7,000 terminals, redirecting funding from other Internet freedom initiatives. Although US President Donald Trump was informed of these deliveries, it remains unclear which top officials gave the final order. Despite official denials from the White House about a connection to the protests, the Starlink operation demonstrates much deeper support for anti-regime efforts than previously declared.
Southwest Airlines is rolling out Starlink WiFi on hundreds of its planes
Southwest Airlines announced the equipment of its aircraft: more than 300 aircraft will receive access to high-speed Starlink satellite Internet by the end of 2026. The first plane equipped with equipment from SpaceX will take to the sky in the summer of 2026, which will be the beginning of the implementation of the air carrier's long-term strategy to update its entire fleet of 800 aircraft.
According to Tony Roach, Southwest's chief customer officer, seamless in-flight connectivity has become a basic requirement for passengers.
SpaceX receives permission to launch Starlink in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government has officially granted permission to SpaceX to deploy its Starlink satellite internet, Reuters reports.
In particular, SpaceX was granted a license to provide both fixed and mobile satellite Internet services. In addition, Musk's company received official permits for the use of radio frequencies and the operation of the necessary radio equipment. Last year, the Vietnamese government stated that it was ready to allow SpaceX only on the condition of a limited trial period. When exactly Starlink will begin providing services in Vietnam is currently unknown.
Conclusion
We must understand that the emergence of “white lists” is not just another bureaucracy or a whim of the Government, but a forced step for the sake of our own security. We saw how quickly the technology that was supposed to help us ended up in the hands of the enemy and began to work in reverse. The fact that Ukraine, together with SpaceX, managed to take this tool from the hands of the occupiers is a huge victory, the results of which are already tangible on the front line.
However, it is worth remembering that the struggle continues and the enemy will look for all possible ways to either replace Starlink or use it despite all restrictions. Therefore, today, Starlink verification is not only a requirement of the authorities, but also a contribution of each of us to common digital security. Our vigilance towards the new means of communication of the occupiers is a guarantee that the technological advantage will continue to remain on the side of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
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