The minister does not disclose technical details, but says he is in dialogue with SpaceX. The decision was taken after the Israelis had a similar experience during the operation in Gaza.
Long before this issue gained publicity, Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov spoke with SpaceX and Starlink owner Elon Musk about the front-line use of Starlink satellite communications by Russian invaders. He said this in an interview with Suspilny.
According to Fedorov, Ukrainians turned to the experience of Israel, whose army found itself in a similar situation in Gaza. However, it is not yet known exactly how and when the problem will be solved.
“When the conflict in Gaza was just beginning to escalate, we studied and analyzed a case that happened in Israel. How they got out of this situation. We found a suitable algorithm, proposed it to SpaceX, and now we have clear communication on how to do it.” “To prevent such a situation from happening,” says the minister.
Mikhail Fedorov called the possibility of shutting down Starlink in the occupied Ukrainian territory “catastrophic”: such a possibility exists, but it would interfere with Ukraine’s actions in these regions.
“We need Starlink to work there because it uses some technologies that are also important to us. These are related to drones. There is another way to make our Starlinks work, and in fact the Starlinks that appear there work in a different way. It didn’t work,” he said. emphasizes Fedorov.
The minister denies there is a connection between Musk’s comments about the war and the Russian emergence of Starlink. According to him, the smuggling problem existed before, but now the problem is being discussed in public and the flow is getting bigger. Commercialization of this sector began in Russia, it “lived a separate life”
“We must eliminate the Starlink they use and ensure that ours continues to work,” Fedorov added.
But for now, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces officer Miroslav Gai, the most effective way to “turn off” enemy Starlinks is to find and destroy them. “Jamming” them using electronic warfare equipment will lead to disruption of communications of Ukrainian fighters, and it will be difficult to distinguish Ukrainian and Russian terminals in the same cell from the satellite side.
The 71st separate Jaeger Brigade of the Air Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine demonstrated the masterful defeat of the Russian Starlink with an FPV drone. The communication feature is clearly visible from the drones as it does not allow the antennas to be hidden under obstacles.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.