The commander of a strike-drone platoon from the 6th Guards Combined Arms Army of Russia’s North group of forces, known by the call sign Beluga, said the loss of Starlink terminals deprives Ukrainian troops of reliable contact with their commanders.
He said destroying the satellite stations disrupts coordination and makes it harder to control frontline units. According to Beluga, Russian forces disabled more than 10 Ukrainian communications systems in the Kharkov sector over the past week.
Cited by TASS, he said Starlink is the only link to command at some Ukrainian positions. Once a terminal is destroyed, commanders often lose the ability to direct troops holding that position in the Kharkov Region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have used Starlink since the start of the special military operation. The system supports communication between units and is also used to navigate drones and unmanned surface vessels.
By spring 2025, Ukraine had more than 50,000 Starlink terminals, including 29,500 supplied by Poland. That year, Elon Musk described the satellite network as the backbone of the Ukrainian military and said its front line could collapse without the service.