Big Update: Ukraine is conducting drone strikes using SpaceX Starlink.

Immediately following Russia's invasion, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov took to Twitter to request that Elon Musk, a Texas businessman, activate his Starlink satellites for use in Ukraine. The billionaire responded promptly on Twitter, writing, "Starlink service is now operational in Ukraine." Additional terminals are on the way. "

Soon after, Ukraine received a number of terminals and powerful batteries. Others quickly followed. Fedorov returned to Twitter to express his appreciation, writing: "Starlink — here. We appreciate it, @elonmusk. "

There were no secret dispatches, lengthy debates, or governmental or parliamentary oversight: just a very public deal between a politician whose country had been attacked and an enigmatic billionaire who later challenged the aggressor, Russian President Vladimir Putin, to "single combat." What looked like a public relations ploy is actually playing a big role in Ukraine's defense.

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"Develop a strategy for target acquisition"

According to British media reports, Ukraine's army is successfully utilising Starlink for drone attacks against Russian tanks and positions. According to the Telegraph, Starlink is very important for military use in areas with little infrastructure and no Internet.

According to the Telegraph, Aerorozvidka's aerial reconnaissance unit uses Starlink to monitor and coordinate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), allowing soldiers to fire anti-tank weapons with pinpoint accuracy. It's not enough for a system to have high data rates to keep its communication stable, the Telegraph says.

The system was described to the Times of London by an officer with the Aerorozvidka unit. "We connect the drone team to our artillery team using Starlink equipment," he explained. "If we use a drone with thermal vision at night, the drone must communicate with the artillery person via Starlink and acquire targets."

According to the Times, the Aerorozvidka squad conducts over 300 information-gathering missions per day. According to the newspaper, attacks are carried out at night because the drones, some of which are outfitted with thermal cameras, are nearly invisible in the dark.

There are numerous potential applications.

Starlink satellites are designed to bring the internet to underserved areas outside of urban areas. The possibility of employing satellites to deliver information to those living in areas with censored internet access has been addressed. Few people, on the other hand, thought that its first use would be in a European war zone, where the aggressor's first move would be to destroy power and internet lines.

Ukrainians now have access to—or have reclaimed—information. According to the Telegraph, Starlink is one of the most popular apps in Ukraine, allowing over 100,000 people to stay up to date on the war and stay in touch with the rest of the world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes statements to the public and to national legislatures throughout the world via the Starlink satellites. Apart from its military utility, Starlink has become critical to Ukraine, both for securing international support and for sustainably sustaining the people's unbroken fight.

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Russia's next target?

Given Russia's continued efforts to attack and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure, including power and the internet, the connection is likely to become even more critical in the coming weeks and months. This, of course, means that Russian troops will be looking for the Starlink reception dishes, which aren't very hidden.

The greatest threat, though, is that while the reception equipment is operating, it can be geolocated. Musk tweeted soon after the first Starlink terminals were delivered in March: "Turn on Starlink only when absolutely necessary and keep antennas as far away from humans as possible," he wrote.

Along with targeted attacks, Russia appears to be attempting to disrupt internet access from space via jammers. However, SpaceX asserts that it already has a solution. Musk stated on Twitter that a new software update reduces power consumption and allows for the bypass of jamming transmitters.

The Kremlin views Musk's backing for Ukraine as an act of aggression. The head of Russia's space agency, Roskosmos, Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin, referred to Starlink's operations as interference. "When Russia pursues its highest national interests on Ukrainian soil, Elon Musk emerges with his previously announced, solely civilian Starlink," he told RT.

Musk's response was as terse as usual. "Ukraine's civilian internet was experiencing weird disruptions—perhaps due to severe weather?—and SpaceX is assisting in resolving the issue," he tweeted.

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