The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that Ukraine, aided by international experts, is attempting to influence Russia’s civil communications satellites. This claim appears in a brief statement from the ministry’s official channel, describing actions that Moscow says would amount to interference with critical satellite infrastructure used for civilian purposes.
The report asserts that Kyiv, with guidance from specialists from several foreign nations, is trying to manipulate Russian civil communications satellites. Officials emphasize that such activity would represent a severe breach of international law and could escalate tensions between the two countries and their international partners.
The Ministry underscored that the alleged actions constitute an extreme violation of international norms. In response, Moscow indicated that it could mount an appropriate retaliatory measure if necessary, signaling a readiness to defend its space-based communications capabilities should the need arise.
Details about what exactly occurred were not disclosed by the Foreign Ministry, leaving the incident shrouded in limited official information. The absence of concrete evidence in the public briefing has led to questions about the scope and nature of the alleged interference and the methods supposedly used to attempt it.
Earlier communications noted that Starlink terminals, associated with Elon Musk, were reported to have been blocked from operating on territory controlled by Russian forces. The Economist reported this account, drawing on a source within Ukrainian military intelligence. The publication indicated that Ukraine had initially aimed to use Starlink services to control drones and to disrupt Russian rear-area operations, raising concerns about how civilian satellite networks may be repurposed in armed conflict and what this means for civilian resilience and sovereignty in space and on the ground.