Russia has banned the import of Starlink satellite terminals

Without a radio frequency permit, the import of satellite communication devices is declared illegal

The Russian government has banned the import of foreign satellite terminals into the country without special permission. The corresponding resolution was signed on April 29.

According to the document, the restrictions apply to “radio-electronic equipment intended for transmitting and (or) receiving radio waves from space communication objects (communication satellites, including dual-use ones) of foreign countries that do not have a decision from the state commission on radio frequencies on the allocation of radio frequency bands.”

In fact, we are talking about a ban on the import of satellite Internet communication devices without approval from the state.

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Under attack - Starlink

Terminals of the Starlink system, developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, also fall under the wording of the resolution.

This system is actively used by the Ukrainian military for communications and control, including the operation of drones. The Russian military also used Starlink, but in February, according to media and military sources, a significant part of the terminals at the front stopped working. Before this, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense appealed to Musk to introduce restrictions on the use of Starlink by the Russian side.

Before the ban was introduced, devices entered Russia illegally - through third countries and parallel imports.

Satellite dependency

Since 2024, Starlink has become one of the key communications tools in combat zones, providing stable Internet where there is no terrestrial infrastructure. It is used for coordination, data transfer and even medical consultations via video communication.

As Vorstka found out, after massive shutdowns of unauthorized terminals, the Russian military began to look for workarounds - from purchasing so-called “white” devices registered to Ukrainian citizens to switching to alternative solutions, including satellite systems and fiber-optic communications.

At the same time, the market for such services remains gray: sellers offer terminal verification through intermediaries, but there are no guarantees of stable operation.

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Russian alternative and criticism

Russia is developing its own Rassvet satellite system, which is called an analogue of Starlink. But communications experts point to a number of problems with the project.

The criticism primarily concerns scale: there are only dozens of satellites in orbit, while Starlink has thousands. This limits coverage and connection stability.

In addition, analysts believe that the system is primarily focused on military and government purposes, and civilian access may remain limited and expensive.

Separate questions arise from technological risks, dependence on the element base and the economic efficiency of the project. According to experts, without government support, Rassvet is unlikely to be able to compete with global satellite Internet systems.

Earlier, “Verstka” wrote that the Angara-1.2 rocket with military satellites was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. She launched the vehicles into orbit in the interests of the Ministry of Defense.

Photo: Jaap Arriens via Reuters Connect

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