Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says SpaceX, the US aerospace company that operates the Starlink satellite internet network, has begun implementing countermeasures to protect the country from Russian attack drones, following a request from Ukrainian authorities.
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister, said many Starlink users in Ukraine are already seeing the first effects of these steps. He said the measures are aimed at protecting both military personnel and civilians, as well as critical infrastructure.
Beskrestnov said he could not publicly disclose details of what has already been done or what is planned. He stressed that all actions are focused on reducing the threat posed by Russian strike drones.
Russia integrating Starlink into multiple drone types
The statement follows earlier confirmation that Russia has begun using Starlink satellite communications on its drones. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine contacted SpaceX within hours of detecting Russian drones with Starlink connectivity over Ukrainian cities and proposed specific ways to block unauthorized use.
Ukrainian drone expert Pavlo Kashchuk said Russia is now serially integrating Starlink terminals into several strike drone types, including Shahed, Gerbera, BM35, and Molniya. Fedorov publicly confirmed this assessment the same day.
Musk says countermeasures working
On Sunday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the measures taken by SpaceX appear to be working. “Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked,” he wrote on X, adding that SpaceX is ready to do more if needed.
Fedorov said the first steps are already delivering results and that work on further measures is ongoing.
Only authorized Starlink devices will operate in Ukraine
As part of the next phase, Ukraine will introduce mandatory verification of Starlink terminals. Fedorov said only authorized and registered devices will be allowed to operate in Ukraine, while unverified terminals will be disconnected.
According to Fedorov, the goal is to ensure that Starlink functions in Ukraine only on approved terminals.
