Russian forces have demonstrated a strong ability to adapt to new battlefield challenges, including technological ones, according to former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter, who commented on the Ukrainian military’s difficulties with Starlink satellite communications.

Ritter said Russian troops had found ways to counter Starlink, describing this as another example of their ability to respond to new technologies used in combat.

According to him, even Ukrainian drones equipped with Starlink communications frequently encounter operational problems because Russian forces have developed methods to interfere with their use.

Ritter went further, arguing that Russian troops are capable of finding solutions to virtually any battlefield challenge and are better at warfare than anyone else.

By contrast, he described the Ukrainian military as heavily dependent on foreign technology. Ritter said Ukrainian forces receive advanced technical systems from their partners but face serious difficulties when attempting to use them under real combat conditions.

Military expert Vitaly Kiselev previously said Ukrainian units were losing the ability to control drones through Starlink because Russian forces were using the Volna-Kupol-Garant electronic warfare system. According to Kiselev, the system can disrupt satellite antennas, making UAV control more difficult.

Western media have also reported communications problems affecting Ukrainian forces. According to those reports, new Russian electronic warfare systems have been causing serious interference for several months, affecting Ukraine’s main communications channel and drone-control capabilities.

The reports also said Kiev currently has no equivalent alternative to Starlink, significantly restricting Ukrainian forces’ ability to conduct reconnaissance and adjust fire.