Russian forces saw their assault numbers drop by a third to a half and launched crowdfunding appeals for radio equipment after Ukraine and Musk blocked unverified Starlink terminals on all fronts, RBC-Ukraine reported. The crackdown on 5 February severed a communication lifeline Russian troops had built their coordination around. One Russian military blogger openly called the US satellite dependency their army's Achilles' heel.
Assault numbers drop by up to half as Russian communications collapse
Sources in Ukraine's General Staff told RBC-Ukraine that Russian forces face massive inter-unit communication problems. The occupiers had tied much of their coordination to unverified "gray" Starlink terminals. By 4 p.m. on 5 February, the General Staff recorded only 56 assaults along the front. During the same period on any previous day, that number was 1.5 to 2 times higher, the sources said. Russian troops apparently cannot coordinate operations via satellite anymore.
They have fallen back on "traditional" command methods, including radio communication.
Ukrainian brigades detail Starlink crackdown: Russian terminals “became just bricks,” assaults disrupted
Russian troops beg milbloggers for radio gear
Russian soldiers began seeking alternatives after losing Starlink access, RBC-Ukraine reports citing Russian milbloggers on Telegram. The Russian Telegram channel Voyenkory Russkoy Vesny launched a fundraiser for 8.5 million rubles (roughly $110,000) to purchase equipment for frontline troops.
"Due to the blocking of Starlink terminals on practically all fronts, troop command has become more difficult. Fighters write to us and ask for help with equipment — radio bridges and radio stations," the channel stated.
Russian milbloggers also posted videos of Russian soldiers on the front complaining about the shutdown.
"We are left without communications!" one soldier declared on camera.
Russia used Starlink in strike drones that reached Kyiv. SpaceX’s response collapsed entire command systemic
Russian military commentators widely complained about the terminal shutdown, The Moscow Times reported. Milblogger Roman Alyokhin wrote on Telegram:
"This is all very bad, especially considering how important communications are on the frontline."
Another pro-Kremlin blogger, Aleksandr Kots echoed the alarm:
"'This is our Achilles' heel,' a good commander once told me about Starlink."
Starlink shutdown
Ukraine blocked unverified Starlink satellite terminals on 5 February. Whitelisted terminals continued operating normally. All others went dark. SpaceX founder Elon Musk urged Ukrainians to register their terminals and reposted step-by-step instructions on how to do so. Ukraine's Defense Ministry had previously asked SpaceX to block Russian access to Starlink in Ukraine, as Russian forces had been exploiting the connection for their war operations.
