Saed News: Field reports published by media outlets such as BBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Economist indicate that Starlink has been a key element in drone and ground operations during the Ukraine war.
According to Saed News, quoting Fars News Agency, Starlink has been a key element in drone and ground operations during the Ukraine war. Documented evidence and field reports published by media outlets such as BBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Economist indicate that the Ukrainian military has effectively used Starlink to enhance its reconnaissance, guidance, and drone strike capabilities. Below is an examination of this crucial role based on the released documentation.
The Starlink system consists of thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), providing very low communication latency (about 20 to 40 milliseconds), enabling near real-time data communication. This feature is especially critical for drone guidance, which requires continuous, stable, and low-latency connectivity. According to a CNN report from October 2022, Ukrainian commanders stated that without Starlink, guiding many drones and conducting precise operations would have been impossible. Before Starlink’s deployment, drone communications relied on insecure infrastructures or suffered frequent disruptions. Starlink’s arrival allowed Ukraine to maintain full operational control of drones even on frontlines and in devastated areas.
According to Wired magazine, the Ukrainian army has used various types of drones — including commercial reconnaissance drones like the DJI Mavic and modified indigenous attack drones. These drones often need to transmit live images and maintain contact with command centers. Starlink enabled real-time streaming of images and precise target coordinates. This information was widely used for targeting artillery, rockets, and suicide drones. Samuel Bendett, a military analyst at the U.S. CNA Center for Naval Analyses, stated:
“Without a network like Starlink, many of Ukraine’s drone capabilities would have collapsed early in the war.”
One of Russia’s military tactics is the extensive use of electronic warfare to disrupt GPS signals, radio communications, and drone signals. However, Starlink’s unique design makes it resistant to many of these attacks. Ukrainians reported that Starlink’s high bandwidth and complex encryption have allowed drone communications to persist even amid jamming attacks. A Financial Times report from February 2023 confirms:
“Ukrainian forces heavily depend on Starlink as it is the only system that effectively withstands Russian jamming attacks.”
Part of the Ukrainian military’s success in executing targeted attacks on armored convoys, ammunition depots, and Russian command posts lies in the integrated use of drones and modern artillery systems. Using Starlink, Ukrainian forces could receive precise coordinates from drones and relay them to artillery systems. This model of operation, called the “sensor-to-shooter loop,” significantly increased the accuracy and speed of strikes. An Economist report from April 2023 noted that Starlink systems enabled frontline forces to connect the observation of a target to artillery fire within minutes and see the results.
In recent days, a Fox News host requested Elon Musk to activate Starlink satellite internet services in Iran amid the Israeli aggression on Iranian soil. Elon Musk responded:
“The beams are active.”
According to a report by the Dataak Polling Center, about 100,000 unauthorized Starlink devices are active in Iran. Communications and IT experts warn that each of these devices poses a serious security risk under the current wartime conditions.
It is noteworthy that operating Starlink in different countries without obtaining permission is prohibited. Iran’s Ministry of Communications, over the past three years, has pursued legal and technical actions through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to ensure Iran’s sovereign rights are respected by Starlink. The ITU has ruled in favor of Iran, obliging Starlink to deactivate unauthorized devices in Iran and even assigned the responsibility of identifying these devices to the satellite internet service provider. However, Starlink has so far refused to comply with these orders.
