Russian soldiers ‘shoot each other’ on frontline after Elon Musk shuts down Starlink

Russian military forces are reportedly experiencing significant battlefield communication failures and incidents of friendly fire following the deactivation of illegal Starlink satellite internet terminals. According to statements from Ukrainian sources and pro-war Russian bloggers, the disruption has caused “chaos” in Russian command and control structures.

The Crimean Tatar partisan group Atesh claimed on Telegram that the loss of Starlink connectivity has “sparked deadly incidents of friendly fire.” The group described one incident in the Zaporizhzhia direction where, due to a complete communications breakdown, Russian units opened fire on each other, resulting in the destruction of a 12-man assault group.

The disruption stems from a recent enforcement action by SpaceX, the company operating Starlink. At the urging of Ukrainian officials, SpaceX implemented a mandatory pre-registration system, creating a “white list” of authorized Ukrainian terminals. This move effectively disabled grey and black-market Starlink devices used by Russian forces.

Elon Musk confirmed on Sunday that SpaceX’s measures to stop illegal Starlink use appeared to be effective. Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated, “The Starlink white list is working – authorised terminals operate normally. We continue verification and are working with SpaceX to ensure rapid terminal registration.”

Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian defence minister, described the situation as a “catastrophe” for Russia’s military, noting that “all command of the troops has collapsed” and assault operations have been halted in many areas.

While the exact scale of the disruption is unverified, multiple Ukrainian sources indicate it is significant. Russia has reportedly used thousands of illicit Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and to guide attack drones. Ukraine has previously linked these terminals to drone strikes on civilian targets.