The New York Times reported on May 24 that Russia is successfully jamming the Ukrainian military’s use of the Starlink satellite internet service. Starlink, provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been the most reliable communications system available to the Ukrainian military but has been plagued by outrages over the last few weeks, particularly in the north. “The new outages appeared to be the first time the Russians have caused widespread disruptions of Starlink. If they continue to succeed, it could mark a tactical shift in the conflict, highlighting Ukraine’s vulnerability and dependence on the service provided by Mr. Musk’s company,” the Times reports. “As the United States and other governments work with SpaceX, the disruptions raise broader questions about Starlink’s reliability against a technically sophisticated adversary.”
Over the past two years, Russia has fine-tuned its electronic warfare capabilities to jam NATO artillery shells and JDAMs, heavy and long-range strike drones, and missiles, Sputnik reported in its coverage of the Times article. An informed source told Sputnik last October that Russia’s EW troops were preparing equipment to suppress F-16s when they arrive in Ukraine.