WSJ: Starlink Restrictions Won't Stop Ukraine's Strikes Against Russia
- 14.10.2026, 18:10
Kyiv has its own technology for long-range drones.
New restrictions on SpaceX satellite communications are complicating the work of Ukrainian units on the front lines, but are unlikely to affect strikes on Russian oil refineries. Long-range drones attacking targets in Russia use other communication and navigation systems.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Ukraine is using Starshield—a SpaceX solution for government and military tasks—in combat operations on the front lines. However, for strikes deep into Russian territory, Kyiv is using its own technology.
To plot routes deep into Russian territory and bypass powerful electronic warfare (EW) systems that jam and spoof GPS signals, Ukraine uses a combination of optical navigation (computer vision) with artificial intelligence, inertial navigation systems, and satellite mapping.
To navigate through GPS jamming zones, Ukraine has developed software suites (such as Eagle Eyes) that allow drones to orient themselves on the ground literally “by sight.”
The UAV’s onboard computer uses a camera to capture real-time video footage of the terrain below (topography, outlines of forests, roads, and rivers).
Artificial intelligence compares this video in real time with a detailed digital map of the terrain that was loaded into the drone’s memory before takeoff. The database for these maps is generated using up-to-date, high-resolution satellite imagery.
If the drone is flying at night, in thick fog, or over monotonous terrain (where it is difficult for the AI to identify landmarks), control is temporarily taken over by the inertial navigation system. It calculates the drone’s position autonomously using internal sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) that measure the drone’s acceleration and angular velocities relative to its starting point. The INS is completely protected from external electronic jamming, although its error accumulates over time.
During the “last mile” as the drone approaches its final target—where electronic warfare (EW) intensity is at its peak and communication with the operator is completely lost—machine vision algorithms take over the final guidance. AI is capable of independently recognizing the silhouettes of stationary objects, storage tanks, aircraft at airfields, or military equipment, and guiding the drone precisely to the target without human intervention.
To select the optimal flight corridor, situational awareness platforms—such as the Ukrainian Delta integration system—as well as mobile command posts are used. These platforms aggregate data on the locations of Russian radars and air defense systems. Software algorithms analyze these blind spots and terrain features (ravines, riverbeds) and plot complex low-altitude routes to bypass air defenses.