Two of at least seven Ukrainian drones used in a strike on a Russian college which killed 21 people earlier this year were equipped with Starlink terminals, investigators have established.
The nighttime attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk in the Lugansk People’s Republic took place in May and was classified as a deliberate terrorist attack by Russia’s Investigative Committee. Its chairman, Aleksandr Bastrykin, discussed findings from the investigation in an interview with RIA Novosti published on Monday.
“The Ukrainian armed forces used at least seven drones identified as Fire Point 1, Fire Point 2, Sichen and RZ-100, two of which were controlled via the Starlink satellite communication system,” he said.
The strike also injured scores of civilians and caused an estimated $14.5 million in damage, according to Bastrykin. Investigators identified Robert Brodi, commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, Oleg Ivashchenko, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, and Andrey Klimenko, commander of the 414th drone brigade, as the main suspects, he added.
Kiev’s use of Starlink in territory that Washington recognizes as part of Ukraine became a source of friction with the US this month after Ukrainian officials claimed new restrictions had been imposed on faster-moving platforms. If true, the limitations would disrupt so-called “middle-strike” operations against targets behind the front line but within Starlink’s permitted coverage area, including Starobelsk.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied imposing such restrictions, accusing Vladimir Zelensky of making false claims and suggesting the Ukrainian leader does not know “what he’s talking about.” Starlink owner Elon Musk has also rejected the Ukrainian allegations.
Rubio further stated that Ukraine has no access to Starshield, Starlink’s military-grade sister service.
Bloomberg reported that Kiev had obtained access to Starshield years earlier, with a contract signed in 2024 to expand connectivity through regular Starlink terminals. Recent Reuters reporting suggests Starshield access remained active as of last week, albeit with new restrictions affecting its use in Ukrainian drone operations.