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The big picture: Starlink has managed to extend coverage of its satellite-based internet service to over 100 countries and territories worldwide in just a few years. The service has also played a role in the Russo-Ukrainian War, as both the Kremlin and Kyiv have sought to leverage the LEO mega-constellation for their own communication needs.
According to a report from Ukrainian website Defense Express, Russian drones are now actively using Starlink hardware for "unlimited" communication over Ukraine's territory. This past week, Kyiv's defense forces shot down 28 drones sent as part of Russia's attack on the Kharkiv region, and some Starlink-branded equipment was seen among the wreckage for the first time.
The drones destroyed by the Ukrainian military were a Russian copy of the Shahed-136, an Iranian suicide drone designed for long-range attacks. The Geran-2 drone has a maximum operating range of 2,500 km and can carry an explosive warhead weighing 50 kilograms. According to unclassified reports by the US Army, the Shahed-136 can also be employed for aerial reconnaissance missions, although no Geran-2 models with integrated cameras have been identified so far.
An unnamed source provided Defense Express with photos taken from a destroyed drone. The photos clearly show a satellite dish with an intact serial number, which could theoretically be used to investigate the origin of the Starlink hardware and who sold it. The Ukrainian website speculates that the Russian Federation is now routinely installing Starlink terminals on its bombing drones after previously experimenting with 4G modems using Ukrainian SIM cards.
Typical upload speeds provided by Starlink's satellite internet service can reach up to 20 Mbps, which is more than enough to stream video and other data back to Russian operatives in real-time. Earlier this year, Elon Musk stated that Starlink has no direct or indirect business relationships with Russian entities "to the best of our knowledge."
Vladimir Putin's government could, of course, have its own methods and means to unlawfully acquire brand-new Starlink terminals. Musk said that Starlink will not work in Russia, but Ukraine is a different matter. Kyiv has been using the satellite internet service since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and Musk has actively supported the operation despite losing money on it.
Russia, and even China, threatened to shoot down Starlink satellites after the company, along with Western military authorities, decided to aid Ukraine's communication efforts with their own funds. Now, the Kremlin is apparently more interested in exploiting the service to better manage communications for sending its bombing drones into Ukrainian territory.