Russian occupiers blackmail families of prisoners, demanding they register Starlink in their names, - Coordination Headquarters
Russian invaders are threatening the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war, forcing them to officially register Starlink terminals in their names, which are then used against Ukraine.
This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, according to Censor.NET.
The Coordination Headquarters recalled that the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, in cooperation with SpaceX engineers, managed to disable illegal Starlink terminals that the Russian army used to communicate between units and control kamikaze drones that carried out strikes in the rear.
After that, according to the headquarters, the occupiers began to put pressure on the families of prisoners. There have been recorded cases of threats and demands to officially register Starlink terminals, which will subsequently be used against Ukraine.
The Coordination Headquarters emphasised that such "cooperation" with the enemy is extremely dangerous. Official registration of the terminal requires identification, and the use of equipment registered by a Ukrainian citizen to control drones or strike infrastructure may be grounds for criminal liability.
The headquarters also stressed that the enemy cynically exploits the vulnerability of the families of prisoners and disregards their future fate, treating people as a "disposable resource."
In the event of threats or demands regarding Starlink registration or any other blackmail from the enemy, citizens are urged to immediately contact the Coordination Headquarters and law enforcement agencies.
Background
- Earlier, it was reported that Russia is increasingly equipping strike drones with Starlink satellite terminals. This allows drones to maintain control and navigation even under conditions of intense signal jamming.
- SpaceX, in turn, stated that it does not cooperate with the Russian military and will shut down terminals if violations are detected.
- Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly addressed Musk regarding the use of Starlink terminals by Russian drones in the war against Ukraine.
- In turn, American billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon Musk called Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski a "drooling imbecile" for calling for restrictions on Starlink for Russia.
- Elon Musk later responded to Ukraine's request to resolve the issue of Starlink terminals being used in Russian Shahed kamikaze drones.
- On 25 January, radio technology expert Serhii (Flash) Beskrestnov, who became an advisor to Defence Minister Mikhail Fedorov on technological issues, announced the possible use of Starlink satellite internet by Russians on Shahed strike UAVs.
- Later, Defence Minister Fedorov announced that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, together with SpaceX, was addressing the issue of Starlink's use on Russian UAVs.
- On 1 February, American businessman Elon Musk assured that Russia's unauthorised use of Starlink had been stopped.
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that the Russian army is experiencing serious problems with satellite communications on the front lines after mass blockages of Starlink terminals.
