Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 17, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 17, 2026
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Starlink systems used by the Russian military have been down for two weeks, but operations remain unaffected. Ukraine highlights the importance of these systems for communication.
Feb 17 (Reuters) - Starlink terminals used by the Russian military have not been in operation for two weeks, but the disconnection has had no effect on its drone operations, a senior Russian military official said on Tuesday.
"Starlink terminals have been down for two weeks, but this has not affected the intensity or effectiveness of the troops' unmanned systems, as confirmed by data from objective monitoring of damage to enemy equipment and personnel," Deputy Defence Minister Aleksei Krivoruchko told State Television.
The Russian acknowledgement was made nearly two weeks after Ukrainian officials said the terminals used by the Russian military had been disconnected.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the terminals had been disconnected and other Ukrainian officials said the effect on Russian operations had been considerable.
Ukraine's military relies on tens of thousands of satellite-based Starlink connections for battlefield communication and for piloting some drone missions.
It said this month it had found Starlink terminals, produced by the company SpaceX, on long-range drones used in Russian attacks.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX to provide satellite internet access globally, particularly in underserved areas.
Drone operations refer to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for various purposes, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and military applications.
A military operation is a coordinated military action undertaken by armed forces to achieve specific objectives, often involving strategic planning and execution.
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