Elon Musk's Starlink terminals shut down by Russia in Ukraine: ‘Super slow’
Ukrainian soldiers have complained that their terminals are now "super slow" as Russia appears to have compromised SpaceX's technology.
Elon Musk's Starlink service in Ukraine is being compromised by Russian jammers, according to reports.
Ukraine has been using Starlink terminals, designed by SpaceX, to pilot drones, coordinate attacks, and gather intelligence since the invasion started in February 2022.
But The New York Times reports that Russian forces have been able to shut down terminals used by Ukrainian troops.
Members of Ukraine's 92nd Assault Brigade told the outlet that their terminals have suddenly become very slow.
One soldier, who goes by the call sign Ajax, said: "One day before the attacks, it just shut down. It became super, super slow.
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"We're losing the electronic warfare fight."
This comes after Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's digital minister, said that Russia is using new technology to "disrupt the quality of Starlink connections because it's so important to us."
Experts have previously described how Russia has struggled to disrupt Ukraine's Starlink network.
But now, it seems Russian forces have worked out how to take out SpaceX's technology.
A drone pilot who uses the call sign Kartel added: "During the first hours the front line was very dynamic. The enemy was moving. And we were moving as well. We needed to be fast in communicating."
The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Russia had illegally obtained Starlink devices from the black market to coordinate attacks in Ukraine.
In March, Video clips were shared on Telegram by Russian soldiers showing them stacking up numerous boxes of Starlink terminals.
The videos, shown in a CNN report, appeared to show that Russian forces are still able to buy the technology despite sanctions from the West.
In March, House Democrats announced they planned to investigate SpaceX over Russia's use of the terminals.
In a letter, they said: “Russian procurement of, use of, or interference with Starlink terminals each has the potential to advance Russia’s brutal and illegitimate invasion of Ukraine."
The letter added: “We are concerned that you may not have appropriate guardrails and policies in place."
Musk has previously said that it is “categorically false" that SpaceX sells terminals to Russia.
He said in a post on X: “To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia."