CNN and Bloomberg reported on 25-26 March that Russian forces may be using Starlink devices despite US sanctions prohibiting Russia’s use of Starlink.
CNN reported that Ukrainian troops’ increased sightings of Russian forces using Starlink coincide with claims from Russian crowdfunders that they successfully purchased Starlink technology in third-party countries.
Ukrainian soldiers also told CNN that Starlink’s connection speeds decreased while connection issues increased in the past several months.
Bloomberg also reported on 26 March that there are “wide-spanning” examples of unspecified actors trading and selling Starlink kits illegally on the black market.
Citing an anonymous source, Bloomberg reported that recent government crackdowns in Kazakhstan against illegal Starlink terminals “barely” reduced illegal Starlink usage.
Bloomberg also reported that “Starlink‘s operator SpaceX should be able to prevent Russia from using Starlink in occupied Ukraine because SpaceX should be able to identify every Starlink transmitter.”
According to a conversation of allegedly Russian soldiers intercepted and shared by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Russia purchased Starlink Internet terminals in Arab countries for its military to use in Ukraine.
Starlink said that its operator aerospace company SpaceX has “never shipped, marketed, or sold Starlink’s services or equipment to Russia.” Starlink also stated that it does not operate in Dubai and “has not authorized any third-party intermediaries, resellers or distributors of any kind to sell Starlink in Dubai.”
Read also:
- WP: US House Democrats probe SpaceX over Russia’s alleged use of Starlink in Ukraine
- Ukraine intel: Russia buys Starlink terminals for war in “Arab countries”
- Elon Musk denies selling Starlink to Russia
- Russian Forces are introducing “systematic” use of Starlink terminals, Ukraine’s Intelligence Confirms