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Ukraine, SpaceX Cut Off Illicit Russian Starlink Use Across Front

Kyiv cites a daily whitelist with speed-based limits to block unauthorized terminals, causing temporary outages for some Ukrainian users.

Overview

  • Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Starlink units used by Russian forces went offline on multiple stretches of the front on Feb. 5–6.
  • Adviser Serhii Beskrestnov described a simultaneous outage that disrupted Russian command and paused assaults in many areas, though independent confirmation remains limited.
  • Russian military bloggers reported widespread loss of service and warned of no comparable alternatives, while the Defense Ministry has not confirmed the disruption.
  • Ukraine and SpaceX are maintaining a daily whitelist of approved terminals in frontline zones, with unauthorized devices automatically deactivated.
  • SpaceX imposed a cutoff for terminals moving over 75 km/h to curb use on drones, and some Ukrainian units and civilians temporarily lost access during registration.