Russia’s Shadow Fleet Uses Starlink to Evade Sanctions

Russian shadow fleet vessels use Starlink satellite terminals to coordinate oil shipments and circumvent international sanctions.

This is reported by the Kyiv Independent.

Journalists spoke with Ukrainian sailors who worked on such tankers. According to them, the crews actively use Western technologies – satellite phones and Starlink – to communicate with ship owners and coordinate routes.

One of the sailors said that such devices can be purchased through intermediaries in different countries and received by mail, despite the restrictions.

The representative of the President of Ukraine on sanctions policy, Vladyslav Vlasyuk, stated that SpaceX must respond and limit the use of its technologies by the Russian shadow fleet.

According to him, the activities of such vessels directly help finance the war against Ukraine, and the use of Starlink to circumvent sanctions is unacceptable.

Vlasyuk also noted that Russia uses GPS spoofing to hide the location of ships, which creates additional risks to the navigation and safety of other ships.

Earlier it was reported that SpaceX, at the request of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, has implemented countermeasures in the operation of the Starlink satellite communication system in the country . Some users are already noticing temporary restrictions aimed at increasing security.

Recall that Russia has launched the first communications satellites into orbit that can be used as an alternative to Starlink for the military.