Starlink against Ukraine: US publication revealed how the “black” market works in the Russia

Starlink Internet terminals, developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, can be purchased in the Russian Federation, despite sanctions. One of the sellers noted that the main buyers of the terminals are Russian volunteers who supply their troops who are waging a genocidal war against Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal writes that Moscow seller Oleg said that most of his orders come from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
On the battlefields of Ukraine, Starlink provides instant and largely secure Internet access. In addition to solving the age-old problem of effective communication between troops and their commanders, Starlink enables the control of drones and other advanced technologies that have become a critical part of modern warfare.
The company has the ability to restrict access to Starlink through "geo-sensing", making the service unavailable in certain countries and locations, as well as the ability to deactivate individual devices.
Russia and China do not allow the use of Starlink technology because it could undermine government control over information. Musk stated that, to his knowledge, no terminals have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia, and that the terminals will not operate in Russia.
The journalists' investigation revealed that there is a supply chain for Starlink hardware through which backroom deals are carried out in Africa, Southeast Asia and the United Arab Emirates, resulting in thousands of devices falling into the hands of some US enemies and war criminals, including Russian soldiers.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said that SpaceX is working with Ukraine to try to stop the Russians from using the terminals at the front.
Moscow troops often did not have the necessary equipment to communicate with their commanders. Russia was trying to introduce new devices that were just entering production at the start of the invasion. But it was difficult for her to implement them on the required scale, and technical problems constantly arose. As a result, the Russians were never able to create a reliable, interoperable communications system to conduct complex operations.
"What's driving the use of Starlink is the need to have secure communications from the tactical edge of operations to headquarters, as well as a secure communications system that can be used to control drones," said Thomas Withington, an associate fellow on security issues.at the Royal United Services Institute of UK