Starlink traffic in Ukraine drops by 75% after Russian army terminals were blocked
The volume of Starlink usage in Ukraine has dropped by about three-quarters after SpaceX disabled terminals operating in Russian-occupied territories.
According to analysts from the IT company Kentik and statistics from Cloudflare, the sharp decline in traffic was recorded in early February. Current activity now stands at only about 25–30% of previous levels, indicating that Russia has so far failed to find effective ways to bypass the restrictions.
The shutdown has significantly affected the combat capabilities of Russian units, which widely used the terminals to coordinate operations. Russian propagandists and military correspondents report growing losses among communications personnel, as they are now forced to lay wired communication lines that are vulnerable to Ukrainian drones.
Although Ukrainian forces also experienced minor technical disruptions during the introduction of the restrictions, overall the initiative by SpaceX has significantly limited the aggressor’s access to modern communication technologies on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, counterintelligence and cyber specialists from the Security Service of Ukraine neutralized an agent network in Odesa region that helped Russian forces legalize Starlink satellite communication terminals.
On the Dnipro direction, Russian troops are also attempting to gain internet access by buying or confiscating SIM cards from Ukrainian mobile operators.
