By the time Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine in late February 2022, much of Ukraine's communications infrastructure had been destroyed, disrupting communications in war zones in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, personally sent a direct appeal to Elon Musk on Twitter (now renamed X), offering support for providing Starlink satellite Internet service in Ukraine to maintain communication for the people and the army of this country.

In response to this call, Elon Musk quickly sent more than 12,000 Starlink Internet satellite signal receivers to Ukraine, helping Ukrainian soldiers and people to continue using the Internet via satellite.

It is estimated that so far, there have been between 50,000 and 60,000 Starlink receivers sent by Elon Musk to Ukraine.

Why does Ukraine need Starlink on the front lines?

Starlink is a service of the space technology company SpaceX (founded by technology billionaire Elon Musk), using satellites launched into orbit to provide global Internet coverage.

Starlink satellites are designed to beam broadband Internet from space to Earth, with users using SpaceX's satellite dishes to receive signals from the satellites and use the Internet on their devices.

The advantage of Starlink is that it can provide Internet to anywhere in the world, even remote areas, especially areas where natural disasters or wars occur.

Satellite Internet signals are not subject to interference like conventional radio signals, and satellite Internet receivers take only 15 minutes to set up and can be installed anywhere… so armed forces can use Starlink to ensure communication and control devices such as drones.

Although Elon Musk claimed at the time of the first Starlink deployment in Ukraine that the satellite internet service was for peaceful and civilian purposes only, the Ukrainian military quickly began using Starlink for combat purposes.

Why is Starlink important in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia?

As mentioned, the Starlink satellite Internet service not only helps ensure uninterrupted communication, but also plays an extremely important role in the context of armed conflicts that are also technological wars.

Here are the main reasons why Starlink is playing an indispensable role on the battlefields of Ukraine and Russia.

Ensure connectivity in isolated, infrastructure-destroyed conditions

The biggest advantage of Starlink is its ability to operate without depending on infrastructure, which is extremely important in the context of armed conflicts that destroy infrastructure.

This helps people living in war zones and the Ukrainian army to ensure communication, transmit real-time intelligence data and especially control drones, a weapon that plays an extremely important role in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Avoid cyber attacks

The characteristic of Starlink is that it has a decentralized operating model and is independent of the national network system, which helps the Internet service provided by Starlink to avoid cyber attacks from enemy militaries.

Starlink's satellite internet system is also more difficult to interfere with than traditional networks, helping to ensure smooth operations during wartime.

Support humanitarian and emergency relief operations

In addition to military support purposes, Starlink also plays a role in helping rescue teams communicate and coordinate effectively to carry out humanitarian relief operations and provide emergency assistance to people affected by war.

How did Russia react to Starlink being deployed in Ukraine?

Not long after Starlink was first deployed in Ukraine, Konstantin Vorotsov, Deputy Head of the Department of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned of the possibility of shooting down SpaceX's internet-providing satellites.

"We would like to highlight an extremely dangerous trend in the use of space technologies, which has become evident in Ukraine. In particular, the use of space infrastructure for military purposes by the United States and its allies," Konstantin Vorotsov said in September 2022.

In November 2021, Russia successfully tested an anti-satellite missile, destroying one of its decommissioned satellites. Therefore, it is entirely possible that Russia could shoot down SpaceX's satellite, which operates at low altitude.

However, up to now, Mr. Konstantin Vorotsov's statements have stopped at the level of threats and no SpaceX satellite has been shot down by Russia.

Even though it did not shoot down SpaceX's satellites, the Russian military still captured many satellite dishes from Ukraine and bypassed SpaceX to be able to use the Starlink satellite Internet service right on the battlefield.

This is considered a "painful blow" for both Ukraine and Elon Musk, when the purpose of deploying Starlink on the Ukrainian battlefield backfired.

Ukraine and the consequences of over-reliance on Starlink

Although Starlink has brought practical benefits to the Ukrainian military and people, relying too much on this service also means that Ukraine depends on American technology and especially Elon Musk.

In fact, Elon Musk has threatened to stop providing Starlink services in Ukraine many times, especially after the country's government rejected Elon Musk's proposals to restore peace and end the war.

In late February, Reuters news agency quoted sources close to the matter as saying that the Trump administration threatened to stop the Starlink service if Ukraine did not agree to sign a mineral exploitation agreement with the United States.

In a post on social network X on March 9, Elon Musk asserted that Ukraine's frontline would immediately collapse as soon as Starlink was shut down, as a threat to the Kiev government.

However, the billionaire has pledged not to stop Starlink service in Ukraine, but there is no guarantee that this commitment will be kept.

Ukraine itself appears to have realized that its heavy reliance on Starlink could be putting the country in danger. Ukrainian officials say the country is exploring alternatives to the US Starlink service.

French satellite communications provider Eutelsat Communications is reportedly in talks with the European Union to replace Starlink in Ukraine.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/vi-sao-starlink-tro-thanh-con-bai-chien-luoc-cua-my-tai-ukraine-20250310115444678.htm