Frontline Ukrainian troops reportedly suffer Starlink outages

Ukrainian forces reportedly faced Starlink outages as they attempted to retake Russian-occupied areas. Some of the blackouts, which are believed to have caused a severe loss of communication in recent weeks, occurred when troops crossed the frontline into Russian-controlled territory as well as during battles, a Ukrainian government official told The Financial Hours.

The cause of the apparent failures is not yet known. Engadget has reached out to Starlink owner SpaceX for comment.

Starlink outages have been reported in the four regions that Russia annexed last month following referendums, the legitimacy of which has been disputed. As the Financial Times notes, there is a major Ukrainian counteroffensive in these areas.

Some terminals reportedly did not work in areas near Khariv, which Ukraine has almost entirely liberated, amid a push towards Lugansk, one of the areas claimed by Russia. However, military officials claimed this week that Starlink terminals were operating in newly liberated areas east of Izyum and south of Kherson, according to the report.

Ukrainian troops use the terminals to keep in touch, operate drones and receive intelligence while stationed in parts of the country that have no other secure network options. Shortly after the Russian invasion, SpaceX, with the help of American taxpayers, sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine for military and civilian use.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has warned Ukrainians to exercise caution when using Starlink. The researchers pointed out that Russia may be able to use the signals from the terminals for targeting purposes. Meanwhile, Musk this week caused anger and concern in Ukraine and among the country's allies when he suggested that referendums be held to determine the Russian-Ukrainian border. He also claimed SpaceX spent $80 million supporting Ukraine through Starlink.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices correct at time of publication.