How Russia Is Scaling the Use of Starlink on Strike Drones and Circumventing Sanctions (Olga Lautman)

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https://maligninfluenceoperations.substack.com/p/informnapalm-how-russia-is-scaling

As early as 2024, Russia began experimentally installing Starlink terminals on its reconnaissance and strike drones to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems. By late 2025–early 2026, this tactic had evolved into a systematic approach that directly affects the effectiveness of Russia’s terrorist strikes against civilian infrastructure.

According to InformNapalm, Starlink satellite communications provide drones with:
stable control under conditions of active electronic warfare;
real-time data transmission;
increased range and accuracy of terrorist attacks.

In effect, Starlink has become a technological force multiplier for Russian drone units.

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On January 27, it became known that Russian strike drones attacked civilian train No. 47/103 “Barvenkovo-Chop,” carrying 291 passengers, just a few hours after its publication. The Russian Armed Forces launched three “Shahed” Geran attack drones, which intercepted the train near the village of Yazykovo (77 km from the front line). One UAV struck the rails in front of the locomotive, while the others hit a passenger carriage in the middle of the train. This was not an accident, but a coordinated terrorist attack. The UAV operators were able to clearly see in real time that they were targeting carriages with civilians. Defense Ministry advisor Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov reported that the “Shaheds” used to attack the train were equipped with Starlink satellite communication systems.

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1. Musk is a Russian asset.