Russian Channels Claim Ukraine Uses New Satellite Terminal for Deep Strikes

Russian channels are reporting that Ukraine is using a new kind of satellite terminal for deep strikes on targets in Russian territory. Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military communications expert and presidential adviser known as Flash, neither confirms nor denies the claims. He stresses, however, that the technology is far from unique and too slow for real-time work compared with Starlink, the satellite internet network run by the US company SpaceX.

What is being claimed

Beskrestnov, who closely follows Russian electronic warfare and Starlink jamming, notes that all Russian channels reported the same thing on the same day. He says he does not know why it caused such a stir in Russian media, since such technologies have long been nothing unique.

Russian reports name the SmartLite Sirius terminals, made by the company HiSky, as the alternative to Starlink in Ukraine. According to Beskrestnov, the device can work with both low-orbit and geostationary satellites. Instead of a dish, it uses a flat antenna that forms beams to track a moving satellite, the same approach used by Starlink and by the US firm Kymeta. It is small, about 60 by 30 centimetres and 6 kilograms, and can hold a connection on the move.

Limitations

But it is no match for Starlink. Beskrestnov says terminals of this type can indeed maintain a connection on the move, but speed reaches a maximum of 2 Mbit/s, and signal latency when working through geostationary satellites is too great for online operation.

Context

Ukraine is looking for satellite links beyond Elon Musk's Starlink, which it does not control. A slowdown of Starlink last month crippled front-line operations. Russia, meanwhile, routinely trumpets Ukrainian capabilities as proof that it has them figured out.