15/ Starlink is still attractive to Russian soldiers because the only Russian alternatives, such as Gazprom's Yamal-601, are much more expensive and offer slower connections. A single Yamal-601 terminal now costs at least 280,000 rubles ($3,700).

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14/ The terminals can still be shut down if military uses are detected – so no drone control. However, Russians and Ukrainians use the same apps – Telegram, YouTube, WhatsApp, etc. – and VPNs can disguise connections to Russian government websites and the MAX messenger app.

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13/ Another Russian seller says that Ukrainian soldiers are registering terminals for the Russian side. Several terminals can reportedly be verified simultaneously – up to 10 per Ukrainian Armed Forces contract soldier, for a fee of $3,200.

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12/ In mid-February, Ukraine's 256th Cyber Assault Division ran a sting operation on Telegram to promote the 'reactivation' of disabled Russian Starlink terminals. It exposed the positions of 2,420 terminals, but also exposed 31 Ukrainians who offered to help register them.

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11/ He says that Russian troops are offering up to $230 to register a single terminal – equivalent to a third of the average salary in Ukraine.

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10/ According to Ukrainian defence expert Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, "For the enemy, Starlink is so important that they have deployed a whole network to search for traitors who are ready to register Starlink for themselves in the Central Administrative Service."

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9/ In other cases, the families of Ukrainian POWs being held in Russia have reportedly been threatened with harm to their imprisoned relatives unless they register Starlink terminals for the Russians.

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8/ The pair were said to have been recruited by Russian operatives through Telegram channels offering "easy money." They also tried to recruit drug addicts to use their IDs. Russian operatives offered them $30 for each Starlink terminal they registered for use by Russian forces.

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7/ Ukrainians selling Starlink terminals to the Russians face severe punishment, including potential life sentences. In late February, two people from Izmail in the Odesa region were arrested after agreeing to illegally register Starlink satellite terminals for Russian forces.

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6/ According to the seller, the terminals won't be shut down because so many are online and "no one is looking for a specific terminal". He says that over 400 have been sent to the Russian front line since the beginning of March 2026.

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