New Russian Technology Attacks Starlink

By SOFREP

This may sound like a broken record, but it’s no secret that technology plays a decisive role in today’s ever-evolving battlefield. One prime example is SpaceX’s Starlink—a satellite-based internet system that has been a game-changer for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

With thousands of terminals providing high-speed internet, Starlink has helped Ukrainian forces coordinate drone strikes, share real-time data, and maintain communications even when traditional networks have been destroyed.

But Russia is reportedly pushing back. Enter Kalinka, a new monitoring system reportedly developed to detect and target Starlink signal

What Is Kalinka?

Kalinka, developed by Russia’s Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies (CBST), is being hailed by Moscow as a solution to Starlink’s dominance in the battlefield.

According to reports, the monitoring system can track signals from Starlink terminals up to 15 kilometers (9 miles) away, whether they’re on drones, unmanned boats, or even stationary ground terminals.

This isn’t just a theoretical concept—Kalinka is already undergoing combat tests and has entered small-scale production. It’s reportedly being integrated into various platforms, including jet skis, boats, and helicopters, making it versatile and mobile.

“Russian [CBST] Chairperson Andrei Bezrukov claimed on December 14 that the center developed the ‘Kalinka’ monitoring system to detect drones that connect to satellite systems, including Starlink,” the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted in its December 14 report.