To begin with, it should be noted that satellite Internet technology itself is nothing new. It’s been around for decades, and Starlink wasn’t the first to do it. However, such a connection has always been a backup solution in case of fiber optic connection problems due to slow speed and other usage difficulties. During the mass invasion of Russian troops on February 24, Ukraine was using the Viasat satellite Internet service.

How did Russia start the cyber war?

Statements were made by the USA, UK, Canada, Estonia and the European Union on Tuesday. According to their intelligence, Russia was behind a massive cyberattack on a satellite Internet that disabled tens of thousands of modems. At the start of a new invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

• US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said: The cyberattack, which took place during the invasion of Ukraine by Russian armored vehicles, was aimed at “violating Ukrainian command and control during the occupation”.and these actions have had side effects for other European countries.”
• British Foreign Secretary Liz Trass described the hacking of the satellite internet as “deliberate and malicious” and the European Council said it caused indiscriminate disruptions in Ukraine and several EU member states.
• The shutdown of Viasat KA-SAT has been called the most visible cyberattack of this war. “It had immediate consequences for satellite Internet users in Europe.”
• The British National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) reported that it was also the main target of the Russian attack. There were Ukrainian soldiers, but they also disrupted wind farms and internet users in Central Europe.

Damaged modems had to be replaced manually. Cyber ​​Security Director of the US National Security Agency, Rob Joyce, explained to Reuters that this is not like a normal malfunction, it is enough to disconnect the modem and restart it and reconnect it.

Their condition was serious. They had to be returned to the factory for replacement,
Says Rob Joyce.

Experts say this attack targeted the Ukrainian army and caused “massive casualties due to the start of the war”. Government agencies in Ukraine interrupted communication between businesses and users. The exact results are still unknown.

Russia, as always, is not guilty of anything

Russia denies any allegations of involvement in cyber attacks. The occupiers’ embassy in the US has described the US State Department’s claims about Moscow’s involvement in cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine as absurd. The words of racist officials were quoted by the propaganda publication TASS.

Attention was drawn to the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Russia’s alleged involvement in cyber attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Such claims are absurd and detached from reality. Our country has never been involved in cyber aggression. This contradicts Russia’s principled stance. We are committed to using information and communication technologies only for the benefit of the world community. Russia is ready for an equal, professional and non-political dialogue with the United States on a wide range of current issues related to information security. We keep channels open for practical interaction. Our American colleagues know this
– It is said in the commentary of the Russian diplomatic mission.

At the same time, Russian representatives say that the State Department does not want to admit that the United States is one of the main sources of global cyber threats.

The United States is where most computer attacks on critical infrastructure take place in other countries, including Russia. In the last six months alone, our agencies have sent nearly 500 reports of malicious activity from the jurisdiction of the United States,
– they add it there.

What Elon Musk says

Elon Musk, who provided Ukraine with thousands of Starlink terminals at the start of the new Russian invasion and provided satellite internet access for Ukrainians, commented on the post From Reuters’ own Twitter account.

Starlink has so far resisted Russian cyberwarfare, silencing and hacking attempts, but they are stepping up their efforts.
– wrote the businessman.

Such statements are not the first. In an interview with Matthias Depfner, CEO of German publishing house Axel Springer, Musk suggested that Russia may try to destroy Starlink satellites in orbit. But SpaceX knows what to do in this situation.