KYIV — Two days after Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched Starlink verification and blocked unverified terminals in Ukraine, the pace of Russia’s offensive appears to be slowing, a Ukrainian military official told POLITICO.

“Currently, such a trend is indeed observed. But it will be necessary to monitor further whether it will continue, whether there will be other factors,” said the official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

“However, at some places, Ukrainian military Starlinks which have not been registered yet have also been disconnected. But the registration process is ongoing,” the official added.

“In fact, they [Russian units] have problems now. They are like blind kittens,” a Ukrainian General Staff commanders told POLITICO separately, also granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

On Friday, Russian military bloggers, who in the past have praised Musk for his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, complained about the mass failure of terminals for the Starlink satellite service that began on the evening on Feb. 4 on the frontline in Ukraine. 

“The Russian Armed Forces used gray Starlinks to organize communications at the front. The danger is that it was an easy way compared to doing something new, pulling an ever-breaking optical fiber, setting up ‘bridges,’ or even working en masse with digital stations to organize the transmission of small data packets,” Russian pro-war military Telegram channel Dva Mayora, said in a post on Thursday. “Gray” Starlink terminals are ones that are not authorized or verified.

“Now it’s either the old-fashioned way, or they’ll come up with something of their own urgently,” the bloggers added, blaming Musk for assisting the Ukrainian army.

Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, in coordination with SpaceX, launched verification of Starlink terminals to protect civilians from Russian drones, which have begun illegally using Starlink connections during massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid.

“This move is in direct response to Russian forces’ illicit use of Starlink terminals. Russian drones equipped with Starlink are difficult to intercept: They fly at low altitudes, are resistant to electronic warfare, and can be piloted in real time from long distances,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in a statement sent to POLITICO.

 “Soon, only registered and authorized terminals will operate within Ukraine; any unverified devices will be deactivated,” the ministry added, urging all commanders of Ukrainian army units, as well as civilians, to rapidly register their Starlink terminal serial numbers with different Ukrainian state organs.

It took only a day until the massive Starlink shutdown at the war front.

“Russians have not just a problem on the fronts; the enemy has a disaster. All command of the troops is collapsing. Assault operations have been stopped in many areas. Our troops also reported problems with those who did not promptly submit lists for private Starlinks. The processing is ongoing,” Sergii Bezkrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said in a post on Facebook.

Many Ukrainian units indeed reported that their Starlink terminals, even once registered, have stopped working, endangering drone operations and evacuations. However, the situation has started changing for the better.

“Some of the blocked Starlinks are already working; the crews are carrying out their tasks. I expect that they will all be working very soon,” said Serhii Kostinskyi, commander of the Ukrainian drone unit “Serafims.”

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk personally for Starlink’s shutdown for the Russian army in Ukraine, saying the tech billionaire once again came through at a pivotal moment. “You’re most welcome,” Musk replied via X.

Musk’s decision to rapidly activate Starlink terminals in February 2022 has made Starlink connection vital for not only the Ukrainian army, but also for civilian and energy infrastructure.

More than 50,000 terminals have been deployed across the country since the war began, provided through donors, international partners and Ukraine’s ministry of digital transformation. In addition, hundreds of thousands of terminals have been purchased by Ukrainians to support civilian needs and the national energy sector.

These terminals have enabled rapid restoration of communications in newly liberated areas and ensured continuity for emergency services, government operations and critical infrastructure. Starlink is used by internet providers and telecom operators, medical staff and military personnel, teachers and volunteers, journalists and IT companies, and rescue teams operating at resilience centers, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.