Ukraine has begun introducing a Starlink “whitelist” system under which all terminals operating in the country must undergo registration and verification. Devices not included on the list will be disconnected. On the evening of February 4, several Russian pro-war Telegram channels reported communications problems, claiming that terminals had stopped working at the front and in Russian units.
Elon Musk said that terminals in Ukraine must be registered. Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser Serhiy Sternenko wrote that if reports of mass outages among Russian forces are accurate, the Ukrainian army could regain its communications advantage. He also urged Ukrainian users to register their terminals in the DELTA system immediately.
According to media reports citing Ukraine’s digital transformation minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the move is a response to Russian use of Starlink. He said drones equipped with the terminals are difficult to intercept because they fly low, resist electronic warfare, and let operators control them in real time over long distances.
Military and political observer Oleksandr Kovalenko told Novaya Gazeta Europe that Russian forces use “gray” terminals smuggled into occupied territories and will not be able to pass authorization. He added that systems moving faster than 75 km/h are already being cut off, since that indicates installation on drones, and that restrictions will later affect stationary communications nodes along the front line as well.
Military expert Roman Svitan said that after Starlink was used on strike drones against civilian targets, a decision was made to bring all terminals in Ukraine under control. In his view, without this system Russian forces will have to fall back on more vulnerable and outdated communications channels, complicating command and reducing combat effectiveness.