Russia began threatening families of Ukrainian prisoners of war into registering Starlink satellite terminals in their names after Ukraine's Defense Ministry and SpaceX cut off illegal terminals the Russian military had been using, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported. The coercion scheme emerged after the joint effort left Russian forces without the Starlink access they relied on for frontline communications and kamikaze drone guidance.
Russian military also widely used Starlink internet at the front.
Russia turns to POW families after losing Starlink access
The HQ said Ukraine's Defense Ministry, working with SpaceX engineers, managed to disable illegal Starlink terminals that Russian forces had obtained through black and gray markets. Russian troops used those terminals to maintain communications for military units and to guide kamikaze drones that struck targets deep behind Ukrainian lines, including passenger trains, miners' buses, and energy substations.
"Searching for a way out of the difficult situation they found themselves in, the occupiers turned their attention to the families of prisoners of war," the Coordination Headquarters said, noting it documented cases of threats and demands that relatives of captured Ukrainians officially register Starlink terminals in their own names. The registered equipment may then be deployed against Ukraine and its citizens by the Russian military.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser Serhii Beskrestnov reported earlier that the Russians offer up to $240 for participation in the scheme.
The Coordination Headquarters stressed that cooperating with Russian forces in this way carries extreme risks. Officially registering a terminal requires identity verification, making the person who did it easily traceable.
"The enemy exploits the vulnerability of families. They do not care about the fate of Ukrainians: for them, it is a disposable resource," the headquarters said.
If a terminal registered by a Ukrainian citizen is later used to control drones that destroy infrastructure or kill people, that registration constitutes grounds for criminal prosecution under Ukrainian law.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov contacted SpaceX and worked with the company to implement a "whitelist" system. Only verified and registered terminals can now operate in Ukrainian territory. By 5 February, Fedorov announced that Russian terminals had been blocked. Beskrestnov said the shutdown left Russian command and control in a state he described as a "catastrophe," halting assault operations in many frontline areas.
