Ukrainian Armed Forces Destroyed Russian Alternative to Starlink – Video

Soldiers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Raid Regiment detected and destroyed an enemy communications antenna on the front lines that was tuned to Gazprom’s Yamal-601 satellite. 

The unit reported the successful operation on Facebook on March 30. The destruction of this equipment temporarily deprives Russian troops of the ability to rapidly coordinate infantry and drone attacks in a specific area of combat operations.

The Yamal satellite network is positioned by Russia as an alternative to the Starlink system, and the Yamal-601 satellite is the newest component of this system, launched into orbit in 2019. Since the coverage of these satellites partially extends to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, taking each such antenna out of commission gives the Ukrainian military an advantage on the battlefield. The military emphasizes that the systematic destruction of such communication nodes significantly undermines the occupiers’ ability to command their units. Thus, the Unmanned Systems Forces continue to systematically weaken the enemy’s technological capabilities in the area of the defensive operation.

The Russians have replacedStarlink with an alternative that is more visible to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Additionally, the blocking of Starlink and restrictions on Telegram have created problems for Russian forces, according to Estonian intelligence.

The Russian command has acknowledged the mass shutdown of Starlink terminals for the first time.