Russian Military Rushes Satellite Internet Terminals to Front After Communications Collapse

The Russian military is urgently delivering satellite internet terminals to the front line after communications were left in disarray by its loss of access to Starlink, Ukrainian electronic technology specialist Serhiy Beskrestnov said on Monday.

Nearly 90% of Russian units lost connectivity after Elon Musk moved to shut down the service amid successful talks with Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, following reports that Russian forces were strapping Starlink terminals to long-range drones.

Ukrainian officials said they implemented a “whitelist” system that allows only approved Starlink terminals to connect to the network, effectively cutting off devices believed to be in Russian hands.

The move caused internet outages on both sides of the front line, though some analysts have suggested the longer-term consequences could set Russia back significantly.

Beskrestnov, also known as “Flash,” said on Jan. 9: “Information is coming in about the urgent delivery of satellite Internet terminals to the enemy’s fronts.”

“There are several providers of high-speed satellite Internet based on the Yamal and Express satellites in Russia,” he continued, outlining their features and how to identify them.

“All antennas of these terminals look like a satellite dish for television with a diameter of 60-120 centimeters. Oval or round in shape,” he wrote, adding that they would face southeast or south.

“The dish will be visually exposed. At these frequencies, a protective cover like the one used on Starlink would interfere with operation,” Flash, who also works as an advisor to the Defense Ministry, continued. “The dish can be positioned deeper behind the front line and connected to the forward positions via a Wi-Fi bridge.”

Beskrestnov also provided several illustrative images in the post on Telegram.

The development is the latest sign that Russia is scrambling to restore communications after The Moscow Times reported earlier this week that its troops were appealing for walkie-talkies following the loss of Starlink access.

For at least the past two years, Moscow had grown dependent on thousands of contraband Starlink terminals smuggled into Russia, frequently via Central Asia, to maintain connectivity among units deployed along the front line.

The network enabled Russian forces to synchronize troop movements and coordinate drone operations in areas where conventional military radios proved unreliable or vulnerable to jamming.

The cutoff has sparked visible outrage among pro-war Russian military bloggers, many of whom leveled bitter critique at Russia’s military and political top brass for failing to anticipate the issue.

Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent Russian propagandist, said: “Our communications are in chaos. So are the enemy’s, but their outlook is different. Their terminals will be whitelisted sooner or later and functionality will be restored.”

The channel Military Informant railed against the Russian command, saying: “The problem isn’t Musk or Trump. These aren’t the guys who hooked the entire army on what is in essence a direct enemy’s technology, making the Russian Armed Forces dependent on a single central switch in Washington.”

The channel Dva Mayora condemned “beloved fascist Elon Musk… the ‘genius’ so ravaged by liberals has once again assisted the Ukrainian Armed Forces in killing our soldiers.”

The channel Russian Engineer suggested: “Instead of whining, we need to focus on finding a solution. We need to develop firmware and other mechanisms to bypass the blocking, as well as creating alternative methods of communication on the front line.”

Other so-called milblogging channels went further, floating suggestions of torturing or killing Ukrainians in order to seize access to their Starlink terminals.

Ukrainian partisans said on Feb. 6 that widespread Starlink failures had left Russian battlefield command “effectively paralyzed” and sparked deadly incidents of friendly fire.