Starlink To Provide More Antennas To Ukraine

There is now movement regarding the use of the Starlink systems in Ukraine. And that in two ways: there is an agreement on expanding cooperation, and at the same time, the Russians want to be able to track down the antennas quickly.

For some time there has been discord between Starlink operator SpaceX and Ukraine. Because the initially amicable provision of terminals and Internet access should no longer continue for free. At times it was unclear who would take on the bills. But now the matter seems to be over – which could also be related to the fact that the moody SpaceX owner Elon Musk is largely occupied with Twitter.

As the Bloomberg news now reported with reference to high-ranking Ukrainian government officials, not only could the existing problems be solved, but an extensive agreement was also concluded with SpaceX. Accordingly, SpaceX will deliver over 10,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine over the coming months. These are to selectively replace the communications infrastructure plagued by constant Russian attacks and also provide their proven services in national defense.

Location for the front

However, it is also important to be more careful when using the systems, especially in the front areas. Because a Russian armaments company claims to have significantly improved the technology for locating the terminals. According to the company, a positioning system has been developed that can locate Starlink antennas with an accuracy of 5 to 60 meters over distances of up to 10 kilometers. This would be enough to coordinate artillery attacks against the users of such a terminal.

It is quite likely to find active Starlink antennas on the front line. Because the systems can be powered by a car battery and are often used for secure communication between advanced scouts and the artillery positioned further in the background. So far, however, there is no concrete information as to whether and how well the new positioning system works in front-line operations.