A Ukrainian soldier fires a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher at Russian positions near the frontline
(General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine )
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Russian soldiers are using Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals to connect to satellite internet service on the frontlines in Ukraine, Kyiv’s intelligence service has claimed.
Ukraine’s GUR intelligence unit said they had evidence that Russian forces were using the terminals in eastern Ukraine.
The report came days after a US military publication published a photo provided by a Ukrainian source purporting to show Starlink terminal on the frontline.
“Yes, there have been recorded cases of the Russian occupiers using these devices,” said Andriy Yusov, GUR spokesperson. “This is starting to take on a systemic nature.”
Mr Musk’s Starlink proved vital to Ukraine’s defence of Kyiv at the start of the invasion in February 2022 after the billionaire provided thousands of terminals.
But Mr Musk later denied Ukraine use of the satellites in Russian-occupied territories, according to a biography of the billionaire published last autumn.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Mr Musk described allegations that he was selling Starlink terminals to Russia as “categorically false”. The Kremlin also denied its forces in Ukraine were using Starlink.
Kremlin denies Ukrainian allegation that its troops use Elon Musk’s Starlink
The Kremlin has said that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system is neither certified for use in, nor officially supplied to, Russia, and therefore could not be used.
Ukraine, which has used Starlink for military communications throughout its conflict with Russia, said on Sunday that Russian troops were using Starlink in parts of Ukraine they control.
Elon Musk also denied selling Starlink to Russia.
Tom Watling12 February 2024 09:45
Ukraine destroys 14 of 17 Russia-launched drones – Ukraine air force
Ukraine‘s air defence systems destroyed 14 out of 17 drones that Russia launched overnight and one Kh-59 cruise missile, Ukraine‘s Air Force have said.
The Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia also launched missiles from S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile systems, but it did not say how many or whether they hit any targets.
Oleh Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region in Ukraine‘s northeast, said late on Sunday that Russia attacked his region with missiles launched from the S-300 systems in Russia’s Belgorod region that borders Ukraine.
He said that according to preliminary information, there were no casualties, but the facades of some non-residential buildings were damaged.
Serhiy Lisak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said late on Sunday that Russia attacked the region’s city of Pavlohrad with drones. There were no casualties, but some parts of the city lost electricity.
A Ukrainian investigator inspects the aftermath of an overnight Russian strike on Selidovo on Donetsk Oblast
(Telegram )
Tom Watling12 February 2024 09:22
Good morning
Hello and welcome to our live blog of the war in Ukraine.
Tom Watling12 February 2024 09:21
