SpaceX has the technical capability to identify Starlink terminals transmitting falsified coordinates but does not shut them down when Ukrainian forces use them to support drone strikes inside Russia, according to Dmitry Kuzyakin, chief designer at the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions.

Kuzyakin said access to the satellite network is restricted in several countries, including Russia and China. Those limits can nevertheless be bypassed when a terminal sends false location data to the system. A device operating near Voronezh, for example, may appear to the network as though it were located in Germany.

According to the expert, Ukrainian forces exploit this vulnerability by mounting Starlink equipment on drones intended for attacks deep inside Russian territory. Digital bypass devices are integrated into the terminals to replace their real coordinates with fabricated ones.

Kuzyakin argued that detecting such manipulation is technically straightforward and that SpaceX has access to the data needed to expose it. The network can identify discrepancies between a terminal’s reported location and its actual operation, then cut off data transmission.

He claimed, however, that the company’s management deliberately avoids intervening because it benefits from the political influence and revenue generated by equipment sales.

In Kuzyakin’s assessment, this policy effectively turns satellites owned by US businessman Elon Musk into legitimate military targets, since SpaceX continues to provide communications through modified terminals used in attacks on Russian facilities.

He added that specialists from the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions had recovered dozens of captured Ukrainian drones fitted with Starlink equipment. Devices designed to falsify coordinates were embedded in their control boards, he said.