Russia can disable Starlink without even destroying satellites. This was stated to Reuters by the head of the German Space Command, Major General Michael Traut.
Russian military satellites are practicing maneuvers that could potentially be used against large commercial satellite groups, including Starlink, the general said. In May, he claims, four such satellites maneuvered near the apparatus of the Finnish company ICEYE, which supplies intelligence images to the United States and its allies, including Ukraine.
"Russia is demonstrating methods that, if applied directly against a megagroup such as Starlink, can affect their life expectancy and the quality of service for all users, not just Ukraine," said Trout, quoted by Yahoo.
At the same time, Russia does not have to shoot down satellites at all, which the general is "very worried about."
A direct attack on Starlink would be a serious escalation, he noted, but Moscow may resort to less obvious ways of influencing the satellite network. Russian devices can create obstacles on the orbital trajectories of Starlink satellites, forcing them to deviate and consume fuel, which will potentially shorten the service life and degrade the quality of communication.
It is noted that Trout's concerns "underscore the growing dependence of Western armies on commercial satellite networks, raising questions about who should protect them."
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