Starlink in the Russian-Ukrainian War: Private Sector Support in Public Crisis

The private sector has played a significant role in supporting the Ukrainian government during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Starlink, a satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX, has been instrumental in providing internet access to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has used Starlink to establish a network of internet-enabled communication systems, which have been critical in coordinating military operations and providing vital information to troops.

This has allowed the Ukrainian military to stay connected and communicate effectively, even in areas with limited or no internet access.

Check this out: Military Communications

Starlink activated its service in Ukraine just two days after being requested to do so in February 2022, waiving the usual monthly subscription fee for the country.

The service was used by civilians and military officials alike, with over 150,000 Ukrainians using it on a daily basis by May 2022.

Ukrainian regulators allowed Starlink to be used by anyone, including ordinary citizens and businesses, making it a crucial part of the country's communication infrastructure.

For another approach, see: Can a Regular Cell Phone Be Used with Starlink Satellites

Starlink's personal connectivity hotspot proved useful for journalists, resistance groups, and the elected government, allowing them to contact the outside world.

Civilians in war-torn areas could gather in "points of invincibility" where they had access to internet provided by Starlink terminals, along with basic amenities like water, electricity, and heating.

By April 2022, Starlink was officially registered and the Ukrainian government relied on it for various communication needs, including transmitting President Zelenskyy's broadcasts.

Ukrainian officials noted that people would have had to wait several months for internet to be restored otherwise, highlighting the importance of Starlink in the war-torn country.

By June, Starlink had helped restore mobile communication in the Kyiv Oblast and had been used to report on the worsening conditions inside the city in the siege of Mariupol.

Starlink allowed phone and internet service to resume within a few days during the liberation of Kherson in November 2022.

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Starlink, launched by SpaceX in 2019, played a crucial role in the Russian-Ukrainian war, providing high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to Ukraine's civilians and military.

Within twelve hours of Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, requesting Starlink services, Elon Musk replied on Twitter saying "Starlink service is now active in Ukraine." This efficient response undoubtedly proved advantageous, especially considering the widespread internet blackouts in the country.

Over 150,000 Ukrainians were using Starlink on a daily basis by May 2022, with the service being used by civilians and military officials alike. Starlink was used to control unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (drones) in the battlefield.

The technology was rapidly integrated into Ukraine's communications infrastructure, with Kyiv's military applying it creatively in the field. By May 2022, Starlink had become the core of Ukraine's communication infrastructure, with Ukrainian officials declaring it essential for their digital transformation.

Ukrainian civilians relied on Starlink to contact the outside world, with the service being used to transmit President Zelenskyy's broadcast and communication between Ukrainian mobile operators. Starlink was also used to run parts of Ukrainian society, including schools, hospitals, and critical energy and telecommunications facilities.

By April 2022, Starlink was officially registered and relied on by the Ukrainian government for various communication needs. The service helped restore mobile communication in the Kyiv Oblast and was used to report on the worsening conditions inside the city in the siege of Mariupol.

Check this out: Internet in Ukraine

In cities like Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, which had not had phone coverage since April, Starlink was the only means of secure civilian and military communications. The service allowed civilians to connect with their families while soldiers could FaceTime their spouses from their base under attack.

Later in November 2022, during the liberation of Kherson, Starlink allowed phone and internet service to resume within a few days.

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SpaceX's Starlink Internet services have faced significant challenges and disruptions in Ukraine, particularly in Russian-occupied territories.

Restrictions imposed by SpaceX have limited the use of Starlink for military purposes, such as drone control, and have even caused outages in areas where Ukrainian soldiers were operating.

Ukrainian officials have acknowledged their over-reliance on Starlink, but found no equivalent in terms of coverage or quality of service.

In October 2022, communications black-outs occurred when Ukrainian soldiers moved into Russian-contested areas, resulting in "catastrophic" losses of communication.

Ukrainian forces reported major Starlink outages across the front line, causing units to become isolated and commanders to risk their lives to get in radio range of the front lines.

These outages occurred in areas such as Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and the Donbas, and were acute in some areas.

The disruptions were suspected to be due to SpaceX trying to curb the use of Starlink terminals on strike drones, or changes in the way the Starlink geofencing worked.

However, by February 2023, Fedorov reported "no problems with the operation of Starlink uplink terminals in Ukraine", suggesting that some issues had been resolved.

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Unchecked tech supply in conflict zones can have severe consequences, including the proliferation of unregulated arms and explosives, which can fall into the wrong hands and be used to fuel violence and instability.

The case of the Democratic Republic of Congo is a stark example, where an estimated 10 million small arms and light weapons are in circulation, many of which were originally supplied by foreign countries.

The influx of unregulated tech can also disrupt local economies, as seen in the example of Somalia, where the black market for unlicensed mobile phones has led to significant revenue loss for the government.

The lack of oversight and regulation in tech supply chains can also enable human rights abuses, such as the use of surveillance technology to monitor and control marginalized communities.

In the case of the Syrian Civil War, the use of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has enabled rebel groups to launch precision attacks on government forces, highlighting the potential for tech to be used as a game-changer in conflict.

The unchecked flow of tech into conflict zones can also lead to the development of new and devastating forms of violence, such as the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan.

SpaceX has continued to restrict the use of Starlink Internet services outside the borders of Ukraine, including in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, using geofencing.

For more insights, see: Telecommunications in Ukraine

Ukrainian officials have acknowledged their over-reliance on Starlink but couldn't find an equivalent in terms of coverage or quality of service.

A US Department of Defense official said in 2022 that other entities existed to provide communications on the battlefields in Ukraine as an alternative to Starlink.

Communications black-outs happened in October 2022 when Ukrainian soldiers moved into Russian-contested areas in Southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces reported major Starlink outages across the front line, resulting in "catastrophic" losses of communication.

The loss of communications prevented the Ukrainian military to defend themselves and coordinate their attacks in those areas, and had to retreat as a result.

Outages were acute in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and occurred also in Kharkiv and the Donbas.

In February 2023, Fedorov reported "no problems with the operation of Starlink uplink terminals in Ukraine."

Disruptions also happened due to the May 2024 solar storms.

Broaden your view: Mobile Phone Industry in Ukraine

Russia has warned that Western commercial satellites used to help Ukraine could become a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike, describing such use of these satellites as provocative.

Starlink's speed of response to Russian cyberattacks has been a key factor in preventing disruptions to the service. The director for electronic warfare at the US Secretary of Defense described the speed of the software response he witnessed to one attack as "eye-watering".

Russian electronic warfare systems interfere with GPS signals, causing some problems with the Starlink terminals, but Ukrainians have found ways to minimize the issue by placing the antennas in dug-out pits or covering them in metal mesh to protect them.

Ukrainian Security Services have blocked some hacking attempts by Russian hackers who planted malwares designed to steal data from Starlink on the Android tablets of Ukrainian soldiers.

For more insights, see: Starlink Satellites Speed

Private sector support played a significant role in Ukraine's use of Starlink technology, with SpaceX initially providing service at little cost.

Around 85 percent of the terminals and 30 percent of the internet connectivity provided by Starlink in Ukraine were paid for by the United States, Poland, and other groups.

SpaceX, however, wanted the U.S. government to pay a greater share of the costs, which they estimated to be upwards of $120 million just for the remainder of 2022, and almost $400 million to continue operating for another twelve months.

The company wrote a letter to the Pentagon in September 2022, asking that the U.S. Department of Defense take over funding for Ukraine's government and military use of Starlink.

SpaceX's speed of response to cyberattacks has been a game-changer in the Ukrainian War. They've been able to quickly defeat Russian jamming attempts, making their service more resilient than others.

Russian cyberattacks against Starlink have been ineffective, mainly due to the speed of their software response. This has allowed Ukrainians to maintain access to the service despite Russian efforts to disrupt it.

To minimize the impact of Russian electronic warfare systems, Ukrainians have been placing their Starlink antennas in dug-out pits or covering them in metal mesh. This simple solution has helped protect the terminals from interference.

In October 2022, Russian forces disrupted a Ukrainian Starlink system in the Soledar-Bakhmut area by destroying a shortwave repeater. This shows the lengths to which Russia will go to disrupt the service.

Ukrainian Security Services have been actively working to block Russian hacking attempts, including those designed to steal data from Starlink. They've had some success, but it's clear that the Russians are determined to disrupt the service.

The use of Starlink in the Russian-Ukrainian War has been a game-changer for Ukraine's military.

The Ukrainian military has credited Starlink with providing them with a significant advantage in terms of communication and internet connectivity.

Starlink's high-speed internet has allowed Ukrainian forces to stay connected and coordinate their efforts more effectively, even in the face of intense Russian attacks.

The Russian military has struggled to counter Starlink's capabilities, with many of their electronic warfare systems proving ineffective against the satellite internet service.

Ukraine's use of Starlink has also helped to level the playing field in terms of information operations, allowing them to counter Russian disinformation and propaganda more effectively.

The Ukrainian military has been able to use Starlink to broadcast their own messages and information to the public, helping to counter Russian narratives and maintain public support.

Despite the many benefits of Starlink, there are still some limitations to its use in the war.

The Ukrainian military has had to be creative in its use of Starlink, often using makeshift equipment and improvising solutions to get the service up and running in remote areas.

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