Burc Eruygur
18 February 2026•Update: 18 February 2026
ISTANBUL
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksey Krivoruchko acknowledged that Starlink terminals used by the country’s military have been disabled for the past two weeks, though this has not affected the intensity and effectiveness of its drone operations.
“Starlink terminals have been disabled for two weeks, but this has not affected the intensity and effectiveness of unmanned systems,” Krivoruchko told the Vesti news service in remarks on Tuesday.
He further stated that this is confirmed by “objective monitoring data on the destruction” of Ukrainian equipment and manpower.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that his country’s government adopted a resolution on the introduction of a “white list” for Starlink terminals, after which only verified and registered terminals will be able to operate in Ukraine.
“Everything else will be disconnected,” Fedorov said, noting the initiative, which will be implemented in coordination with SpaceX, was put forward in reaction to "the use of Starlink by the Russians."
Late January, Fedorov said that the Defense Ministry contacted SpaceX “within hours of reports that Russian drones equipped with Starlink connectivity were operating over Ukrainian cities.”
The remarks came after Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said through US social media company X, urging SpaceX owner Elon Musk to stop Russians from using Starlink to target Ukrainian cities.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War separately claimed that Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink-equipped drones to extend strike ranges, warning that such mid-range attacks exploit Ukraine’s air defense shortages and pose a broad threat to critical infrastructure.
Starlink cannot be sold or used in Russia because of US sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine war, which will enter its fifth year next week.
