Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ Elon Musk's Starlink is now just as crucial for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine as it is for the Ukrainian defenders. A mass deactivation of many Russian Starlink terminals last month has prompted an unusually frank assessment of much the Russians now depend on it. ⬇️

2/ Russia has been able to equip many of its troops with Starlink terminals bought and activated in third countries. They cannot be deactivated through geoblocking, as the front lines are so close together that it would also deactivate the Ukrainian Starlinks.

3/ However, Starlink has deactivated batches of Starlinks which it has identified as being illegally imported into Russia. This led to a mass deactivation of many Russian Starlink terminals along the front lines in early February 2025.

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1887063517620011330

4/ Reflecting on the deactivation, the 'Man in Z sneakers' Telegram channel asks:

"What will happen if [Russian] Starlinks are blocked?

We will roll back to 2023. And this means that the troop control system and the speed of enemy destruction will suffer significantly."

5/ "Control posts at different levels will be depleted in the number of TV screens due to their uselessness. The command will have to be closer to the front.

6/ "Without the operational transmission of images from drone cameras, there is no operational data for destruction and no instant adjustment of artillery fire.

7/ "The demands on the infantry's ability to enter points without drone control and the ability to adjust fire by radio, being close to the pilots or at observation posts will increase.

8/ "Mavic [reconnaissance drone] pilots will have to be close to FPV pilots again to promptly receive data on targets and objectively control the destruction.

Telegram (or any other messenger), as an operational and covert means of communication, will become useless.

9/ "Consequently, the speed of transmitting target coordinates and interaction will decrease. There will be a high risk of wiretapping and exposure of communication points.

With the decrease in control, the amount of false information will increase. To put it mildly.

10/ "All this, unfortunately, will lead to increased losses (including among senior and higher officers)." /end

Source:
t.me/russiansniper8…