Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Fars News Agency: 78 were martyred and 329 were wounded in Israeli aggression on residential neighborhoods in Tehran
Security source tells FARS: Iran's revenge will happen soon
Iran's FARS News Agency, citing security source, denies Israeli reports that Tehran has launched drones toward 'Israel'
The office of Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani strongly condemned today’s Israeli aggression on Iran, denouncing it as a blatant criminal act that once again exposes the grave and ongoing threat the Zionist entity poses to regional peace and stability.
Loud explosions heard in the vicinity of Hamadan Province in Iran
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps in Iran announces the martyrdom of the commander of the IRGC's aerospace force, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh
The Deputy for Operations Affairs of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Mehdi Rabbani, was martyred along with his wife and children
Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force's Air Defense General Davood Sheikhian was martyred
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Ms. Bagheri worked as a journalist for the Defense Press Agency
Fereshteh Bagheri, daughter of Major General Mohammad Bagheri, was martyred alongside her father in the Israeli aggression this morning: Al Mayadeen's correspondent

Starlink efficiency reduced over Russia, areas under control - reports

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Economist
  • 21 Mar 2023 23:03
3 Min Read

In the early stages of the conflict, the Ukrainian army said it has immensely benefited from the terminals by connecting its drones to attack Russian forces.

  • x
  • A Bayraktar TB2 drone before a test flight at the Hmelnitski military base in Ukraine on March 20, 2019. Press Office of the President of Ukraine / Mykola Lararenko / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
    A Bayraktar TB2 drone before a test flight at the Hmelnitski military base in Ukraine on March 20, 2019 (Press Office of the President of Ukraine / Mykola Lararenko)

A report published by The Economist on Tuesday detailed how SpaceX's Starlink was giving limited advantages to Kiev forces in initiating drone offensives on Russia's grounds. 

Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, first announced sending the satellite internet communication system in March 2022, less than a month after the beginning of the war, and since then, Ukraine has received more than 20,000 satellite internet terminals.

In the early stages of the conflict, the Ukrainian army said it has immensely benefited from the terminals by connecting its drones to attack Russian forces.

Kiev's forces held expectations a bit too high for the Starlink terminals to assist troops with the manoeuvering of drones which work "at frequencies and in numbers that Russian systems struggle to jam."

In October of last year, a naval-drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet made good use of this gap.

At the time the attack occurred, Russia and Ukraine were already involved in an UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative on grain and fertilizer exports which was signed on July 22. 

Read more: Commercial satellites; a 'game changer' in space wars

Although no casualties were reported, Elon Musk decided to limit the capacities of the terminals by installing geofencing to limit their use and access, according to the report.

According to a Ukrainian military intel source cited by The Economist, Starlink is no longer active on Russian-controlled territories, as well as over water when the terminal is moving at speeds above 100km per hour.

"You put it on a boat at sea and it will simply stop working," the source told The Economist.

Ukraine's drone developers, therefore, had to resort to the development of new and more expensive communication systems, "with multiple systems often on the same vehicle," the report states.

On February 28, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Kiev of carrying out drone strikes against infrastructure in two southern regions of Russia.

"Last night, Kiev attempted to use drones to attack civilian infrastructure in the Krasnodar and Adygea regions," he said.

Although several reports have claimed that Ukraine's drones getting this close to Moscow was a sign of Russia's weakness, the fact that it has already by now encircled large parts of  Bakhmut is enough to prove that Russian forces are advancing at a positive pace.

Read more: China to launch 13,000 satellites to challenge Starlink: Reports

  • Remote-control war
  • Russia
  • UAVs
  • Ukraine
  • Drones

Most Read

The logo of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (wikidata)

Iran acquired thousands of sensitive Israeli documents: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 7 Jun 2025
'Israel' launches major strike against Iran's nuclear program

'Israel' launches massive aggression on Iran

  • MENA
  • Today
Iranian demonstrators walk on a caricature of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the annual Quds Day rally in support of Palestinians, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 28, 2025 (AP)

Iran hits 'Israel' hard without arms; intel breach lays Tel Aviv bare

  • Politics
  • 7 Jun 2025
The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP)

Tehran unravels documents exposing secret IAEA-'Israel' collusion

  • Politics
  • 12 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
U.S. National Guard are deployed around downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following a immigration raid protest the night before. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
US & Canada

ICE raids in LA trap families in harsh conditions: Lawyers

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks at a rally to garner support for a referendum on labor reform, in Cali, Colombia, on June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Politics

Petro slams US-linked coup plot, signs decree for popular consultation

President Donald Trump speaks as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 17, 2025. (AP)
US & Canada

World sees Trump as ‘arrogant’, ‘dangerous’ as ratings sink: Poll

he Department of Defense logo is seen on the wall in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon on, Oct. 29, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)
Politics

Future of $240bln AUKUS deal in doubt as Pentagon launches review

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS