Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine

Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine

Starlink satellites operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX provide high-speed internet – something modern war relies heavily on.

Kyiv has adopted it as a vital battlefield communications tool and also uses it in drone warfare.

Using Starlink, Ukrainian drones are able to maintain stronger connections with operators over longer distances than conventional radio networks and are less vulnerable to jamming.

But a sudden speed restriction for drones connected to Starlink means some battlefield “missions” have been disrupted, according to a top Ukrainian official.

Serhiy Beskrestnov also said officials had not been told about the 100mph (160km/h) speed limits set overnight on Tuesday by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

Throttling drones connected to the network at this relatively low speed makes Ukrainian efforts to intercept jet-powered Russian drones all but useless, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Starlink is “the backbone of military communications in Ukraine”, the institute’s George Barros says, and is used across Kyiv’s naval, land, and air forces.