Expert Suggests Ukraine Used Starshield in Massive St. Petersburg Drone Attack

The recent large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region may indicate that Kiev continues to use the American Starshield satellite system, according to military expert Yevgeny Mikhailov.

The analyst suggested two possible explanations: either the United States has fully restored Ukraine’s access to satellite capabilities, or European partners have provided the necessary support to the Ukrainian military.

Mikhailov also pointed to the sheer number of unmanned aircraft deployed against St. Petersburg and the surrounding region. In his assessment, the scale of the assault suggests that Russian forces have yet to destroy most of Ukraine’s drone assembly facilities.

This, he argued, has allowed Kiev to accumulate substantial stocks of unmanned aerial vehicles and deploy them in coordinated, large-scale attacks.

The military expert urged Russia not to rely on reports suggesting restrictions on Starlink and Starshield satellite services. Instead, he maintained that Moscow should depend entirely on its own capabilities and continue its existing strategy of gradually exhausting Ukrainian resources.

Mikhailov also advocated intensifying Russian strikes and diversifying the types of weapons used. While acknowledging that Russian forces are already pursuing this approach, he suggested that additional measures might be necessary.

The comments followed a massive Ukrainian drone attack on St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region overnight on October 18.

The assault damaged an oil terminal and a warehouse belonging to Ozon. A VK data processing center was also targeted during the attack.