Due to problems with Starlink, the Armed Forces of Ukraine canceled some missions: the military spoke about the consequences
Термінал Starlink. Фото - Михайло Федоров
On the night of October 14, the Ukrainian military discovered limitations in the operation of the Starlink satellite communication system, in particular the Starshield system. Due to communication disruptions, the Defense Forces had difficulty controlling drones and had to cancel some combat missions.
This is reported by NV, citing a source in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the press service of the 7th Corps of the Defense Ministry.
It is noted that initially there was talk of restricting Starlink operations to speeds above 160 km/h, but this information is still being clarified. The Ministry of Defense added that they are investigating the reasons for such restrictions.
The press service of the 7th Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is fighting in the Hulyaipil direction in the Zaporizhia region, noted that during the flights of Ukrainian drones along the front line, Starlink communication could disappear for 10–20 seconds at a speed of 110–120 km/h. The drones continued to move, but such interruptions made it difficult to control them.
The Corps explained that reducing the speed of drones creates additional risks, as slower targets become more vulnerable. The problem is especially acute when launching high-speed drones, in particular Middle Strike, which must gain high speed. Under such conditions, unstable communication can make it impossible to launch the devices or use them for their intended purpose.
“The consequences are already tangible in practice. Only since the beginning of the day , one of the unmanned systems units operating in the area of responsibility of the 7th Corps of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Hulyaipil direction had to cancel some missions due to communication problems ,” the military officer emphasized.
At the same time, Advisor to the President of Ukraine on the Development of Technological Areas of Defense Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov drew attention to another problem related to Starlink limitations.
“Everyone writes that Starlink restrictions have affected long-range missions and front-line logistics, but there is another big problem for us. Starlink is used in the most effective solution to protect our skies from Shahed jets today – in interceptor drones. In fact, by their actions, the partners are depriving us of one of the few chances to protect the country from Shahed jets,” Beskrestnov emphasized.
In particular, Starshield is SpaceX’s satellite communications program based on Starlink technology, focused on the needs of the US government and military.
Earlier it was reported that the first to speak about the problem with Starlink was the former advisor to the former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov, Serhiy Sternenko. On the night of Wednesday, October 14, Starlink terminals began to lose communication while traveling at speeds over 160 km/h. Because of this, according to preliminary data, a number of important missions were disrupted. At the same time, conventional satellite communication terminals continue to work.
In addition, Serhiy Beskrestnov later reported that SpaceX had introduced speed limits for Starlink terminals during movement. Because of this, the Ukrainian Defense Forces were unable to complete a number of important missions.
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