Russia deploys new jammers to block Starlink used by Ukrainian drones

Russia is trying to target the Elon Musk-owned Starlink internet system in a bid to counter Ukraine’s long-range drones. Russian forces are installing powerful jamming systems aimed at Starlink, the SpaceX-owned network that Ukraine relies on to fly its long-range attack drones.

Starlink has quietly become one of Ukraine's most important weapons as it lets pilots control "mid-strike" drones from dozens of kilometers away, hitting fuel depots, command posts and air-defense sites deep behind Russian lines.

Most of these strikes are only possible because of Musk's network, Ukrainian drone commanders and pilots told Reuters.

Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukraine's defense ministry, said Russia has rolled out a jamming system called Volna Kupol Garant which can disrupt Starlink signals across an area of roughly 20 square kilometers, enough to blind drones flying through it.

Russian forces have started placing these jamming units near towns and military facilities, hoping to blunt Ukraine's drone campaign. However, the problem of their big size still remains an issue as they can be easily spotted.

Ukraine's 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment says it has already destroyed two of them. One was hit within hours of being spotted, in a joint strike with Ukraine's SBU security service.

"As soon as we struck that installation, our Starlink-equipped drones flew without problems," said a crew commander who uses the callsign Dyryhent.

According to Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russia is making gradual progress against Ukraine's drones. If Moscow manages to mass-produce these jammers it could get much harder for Ukraine to keep flying its mid-strike missions.

SpaceX did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. Neither did Russia's defense ministry.