A 12-man Russian assault group was wiped out by their own forces following a complete communications breakdown caused by the deactivation of Starlink terminals, according to reports from the battlefield.
Crimean Tatar partisan group Atesh stated on Telegram that Russian units in the Zaporizhzhia direction opened fire on each other after losing satellite-based internet connectivity, with soldiers having “no information about each other” before the deadly engagement occurred.
The friendly fire incident resulted from what the group described as “an almost complete failure of the Starlink terminals” across Russian-occupied territories. Atesh reported that the loss of connectivity has “sparked deadly incidents of friendly fire” amongst enemy forces.
The communications collapse followed Ukraine’s implementation of a mandatory pre-registration system for Starlink devices in collaboration with SpaceX, effectively disabling grey and black-market terminals used by Russian troops.
Atesh stated: “Russian communications specialists are in despair – attempts to deploy backup communication channels are failing one after another, standard electronic warfare systems regularly jam even their own radios.”
Telegram channels operated by Russian pro-war bloggers suggest “command and control of troops at the front is virtually paralysed” as units scramble for alternative solutions. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, described the situation as catastrophic for Russia’s military, writing: “All command of the troops has collapsed. Assault operations have been stopped in many areas.”
The disruption came after Ukraine announced last week it was working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to block Russian use of Starlink, particularly on attack drones. A “white list” of authorized Ukrainian terminals was created, allowing officials to identify and deactivate unauthorized devices.
Musk confirmed on Sunday that SpaceX’s measures to prevent illegal Starlink use appeared to have succeeded. Ukraine’s defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, responded: “The Starlink white list is working – authorised terminals operate normally. We continue verification and are working with SpaceX to ensure rapid terminal registration.”
Fedorov described the system as “the first case globally being implemented in real time” whilst thanking the SpaceX team for their continuous engagement on the project.
Ukrainian officials had previously warned about Russia’s expanding use of Starlink for military purposes, including deployment on Shahed and Molniya drones targeting civilians. Hochu Jit (I Want to Live), a Ukrainian government centre monitoring Russian prisoners of war, stated these drones struck a passenger train in Kharkiv region killing six people, and a bus carrying miners in Dnipropetrovsk region killing 16 people.
The successful terminal deactivation represents a significant achievement for Fedorov, who became defence minister last month. As digital minister in 2022, he had persuaded Musk to activate Starlink for Ukraine and provide terminals following Russia’s invasion.
Russian forces now face battlefield communications described as being in “chaos” following the mandatory registration requirements. The white list system prevents unauthorized devices from accessing the satellite network whilst allowing legitimate Ukrainian military terminals to function normally.
Ongoing verification continues as Ukrainian authorities work with SpaceX to ensure rapid registration of authorized terminals whilst maintaining blocks on devices used by Russian forces. The system’s effectiveness in disrupting enemy communications is being monitored as both sides adapt to the changing battlefield technology landscape.
