Western media are raising concerns over the deployment of new Russian electronic warfare systems capable of disrupting Starlink satellite communications provided to Ukraine by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Reuters reported the development, citing Ukrainian commanders and drone operators.

According to the agency, Russian forces are increasingly placing powerful signal-jamming systems near cities and military facilities. Their purpose is to break the satellite communication links used to control long-range drones operated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Reuters said the Russian system known as Volna-Kupol Garant can generate interference strong enough to destabilize Starlink operations across an area of about 20 square kilometers. For a long time, Starlink had been regarded as largely resistant to electronic warfare.

Since most Ukrainian medium-range strike drones rely on Starlink for control, the use of such Russian systems significantly complicates operations involving deep drone penetration into Russian territory. The Ukrainian side says it knows of at least ten specialized Russian installations of this type.

Reuters also cited Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the US Foreign Policy Research Institute. He said that if production of such jamming systems expands, Kyiv will find it much harder to carry out strikes deep inside Russian territory.