Starlink on Russian Drones – Today’s Reality
Russian drone manufacturers no longer hide the use of Starlink in their UAV systems.
The deployment of Starlink satellite communications by Russian forces has recently gone largely unmentioned in global media. Yet despite the fact that Starlink services are officially unavailable on the territory of the Russian Federation, the aggressor state is increasingly employing this breakthrough communications technology in occupied areas of Ukraine. This includes developing drone control systems that enhance their ability to strike civilian infrastructure and terrorize Ukrainian cities far from the frontline.
A year ago, the first official reports emerged in the media about the use of Starlink on Russian Shahed-136 drones. The Starlink satellite terminal significantly extends and improves the operational capabilities of these drones, which Russia most frequently employs to attack civilian infrastructure and population centers across Ukraine.
Most confirmations of such deployments remain unpublished, as in wartime almost all evidence — photos, videos, and documentation — is classified or restricted for official use only. Nevertheless, evidence occasionally surfaces directly from Russian drone developers themselves.
A recent example came from the presentation of the Russian design bureau Valkyrie at the “Unmanned Systems: Technologies of the Future” international forum held this August in Moscow. There, the manufacturer’s stand openly showcased the option of integrating Starlink terminals on certain drone models. Russian media outlets such as AIF.ru, URA.ru, and others also recorded numerous confirmations in interviews with the developers. These publications are easily searchable, and even on the manufacturer’s own website the availability of Starlink-based control systems is highlighted.
Yesterday, the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reported on this development, citing the “VD: Enemy Intelligence” community, which monitors Russian technological advances. Photos from the manufacturer’s stand have also circulated widely in posts across social media platforms.
Thus, despite the “fog of war” and strict secrecy, the confirmation of Russian aggressors using drones equipped with Starlink satellite terminals in Ukraine is a reality that cannot be ignored. It is imperative for Ukraine — together with SpaceX — to develop protective countermeasures to confront this threat.