russian forces are still mounting mini-Starlink satellite terminals on their UAVs — in this case, on what appears to be an upgraded variant of the Molniya drone. The photos, published by expert Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, reportedly show a drone spotted on the Pokrovsk axis. Ukrainian troops have already encountered Starlink-equipped enemy drones in the sky.
It is highly likely that the drone is russian, suggested by the type of battery commonly used by russian operators and its overall resemblance to the Molniya family — most likely one of the strike-oriented modifications.
Read more: russia's Fiber-Tethered Molniya Drone Becomes Harder to Jam, but at the Cost of Range and Payload
The images show the mini-Starlink terminal crudely strapped to the drone with zip ties. On one hand, this may reflect a one-off field improvisation. On the other, the Molniya platform itself is conceptually a cheap but functional solution, early versions looked, quite literally, like something "built out of sticks."
Although this is the first time a Starlink terminal has been seen on a Molniya, the broader use of Starlink by russian UAV operators is not new. Reports first surfaced in early 2024 that russia had begun using SpaceX Starlink satellite internet on its drones, with documentary evidence emerging shortly afterward.
russia has even mounted a Starlink terminal on its long-range Shahed-type strike UAV. This effectively grants the drone unlimited communication range, turning it into a loitering munition capable of reconnaissance, in-flight target refinement, and engaging priority — including moving — targets.
More recently, russian forces unveiled their RD-8 mothership drone, which can also be controlled via Starlink.
It is worth recalling that as far back as May 2024 the Pentagon announced that it was preparing a definitive solution to the issue of russian access to Starlink. While no details of these measures were publicly disclosed, one potentially effective approach would have been implementing a white list of Starlink terminals authorized for use in Ukraine and in temporarily occupied territories, followed by the deactivation of all terminals not included on that list.
A month later, the Pentagon reported that it had successfully disabled hundreds of illegal Starlink terminals used by russian forces. However, the continued appearance of Starlink-equipped russian drones suggests that the problem has not been fully resolved and that russia remains able to integrate these terminals into its weapon systems.
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