Ukraine’s top spy chief has publicly declared his country is relying on Starlink, a satellite-based communications network, to remain connected on all frontlines.
In a bid to keep their military installations connected throughout Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia, the Ukrainian Security Service says Starlink satellites have been in use since early September of this year.
The Ukrainian Security Service, or SBU, has deployed Starlink to bolster the performance of their existing ground-based communications networks and access the internet from remote locations.
The advantages of using Starlink are two-fold: not only does it enable their troops to take advantage of faster connections, but it also provides an additional layer of security, given that it is a military-grade encrypted system.
Asked to comment on why the SBU only opted for Starlink and not some Russian-backed or similar systems, SBU spokesperson Yaroslav Tymonenko said “Starlink offers the highest level of security and confidentiality, as such we decided to go with it to protect our national interests”
Starlink is part of a global network of low Earth orbit satellites owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and is expected to provide download speeds reportedly up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) in select locations around the world.
The network became operational this year and has since provided quicker internet connections to select areas in America and other select countries.
However, while its internet service access is undoubtedly game-changing, there were reports that Starlink was unavailable in Crimea, Ukraine’s militarily annexed region and the area of focus for the SBU’s operations. Tymonenko, however, said that the SBU is in fact utilizing the satellite connection system in Crimea and that the reports of its absence were unfounded.
The immediate future of the SBU’s mission in Crimea remains unclear, however, what is certain is that the network of Starlink satellites will continue to play an important role in keeping them connected throughout the conflict.
