Recently, the information about russians having started to suppress the Starlink satellite Internet connection has caused a resonance in the media. No wonder it caused unease in Ukraine since Ukrainian forces widely deploy these portable satellite dishes to gain web access utilized for various military needs. However, the russians have been trying to obstruct Starlink for a while, the first attempts date back to several months ago.
In April 2023, we wrote about the 14Ts227 Tobol EW system deployed by russians specially for this purpose, later the countermeasure was explained by Ukrainian electronic warfare specialist Serhii Flash.
Read more: Does russian 14Ts227 Tobol System Have the Power to Suppress Starlink
Moreover, there is no even need for a secret jammer like Tobol because communication jamming is a common thing on and near the frontline. The physics of jamming are all the same even for Starlink since it's also one of the kinds of radio connection; and if there is a radio connection, its frequencies can be found out and obstructed.
Besides, in the case of Starlink, it's not necessary to suppress the frequency channel when you can cut it off from satellite navigation, as the terminal binds itself to the GPS location and currently does not work on the occupied territories of Ukraine.
In order to hinder Starlink, the enemy has to place EW antennas at heights, such as mobile telephony masts, elevators, power transmission towers, so as to obstruct the satellite Internet antenna at a very large angle. And in order to mitigate this effect, as we already wrote in April, an ordinary shovel is needed.
The expert advised digging the Starlink antenna under the ground for at least 50 cm or lower but in a way that it still can see the satellites. The walls of the pit could be covered in dense metal mesh or metal profile sheets in order to create an open-top "Faraday cage" which must be earthed. Also, one should keep in mind that when it rains, something must be done to the water gathered at the bottom of the pit.
That is, it is not some "one-of-a-kind" russian technology that poses a threat to Ukrainian SatCom receivers, nor it's impossible to solve the problem by doing quite simple actions.
Moreover, digging Starlink at a certain distance from the position is, in any case, quite the right decision, because it allows you to protect the device from being damaged by fragmentation during artillery shelling, and makes your positions less conspicuous to enemy signal intelligence.
Read more: Mini-Radars to Protect Crimean Bridge: russia Deploys New Equipment Against Ukrainian Explosive Boats
