In connection with Elon Musk's blocking of the Starlink internet, Ukraine began searching for alternative ways to ensure communications and carry out precision strikes on Russian military facilities in the occupied territory of Crimea and other regions.
Starlink satellite communication systems have been actively used by the military since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, the owner of Starlink, Elon Musk, has repeatedly blocked the system for the Ukrainian military, making it impossible to use it in Crimea. However, Ukraine was looking for alternatives, and, apparently, found them.
As reported by "Suspilne", the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Vadym Sukharevsky, said that Ukraine expects a positive result and is currently conducting a dialogue with the supplier regarding the supply of alternative systems that are functionally similar to Starlink.
“A whole working group has been created for dialogue. There is an alternative, yes. The dialogue is underway, and, let's say, we expect a positive result,” Sukharevskiy said, but did not indicate the name of the Starlink alternative.
Recall that on October 7, 2022, the Ukrainian military reported problems with the use of Starlink in the combat zone, in particular in the Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kharkiv regions.
On February 9, SpaceX restricted Starlink communications, stating that Ukraine should not use the system as a weapon, including to control drones. Musk later explained these restrictions by saying that SpaceX is trying to prevent the start of World War III.
Additionally, in September 2023, Musk secretly turned off Starlink to prevent Ukrainian forces from attacking the Russian fleet in Crimea.
