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Russia Accelerates Drone‑Led Air Interdiction After Starlink Block; Ukraine Deploys Netting and New Tactics

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  • In Ukraine, anti-drone nets go on for miles, suspended from wooden poles
    In Ukraine, anti-drone nets go on for miles, suspended from wooden poles
    Image: BBC
    In Ukraine, anti-drone nets go on for miles, suspended from wooden poles Source Full size
  • The nets snag the propellers of attacking drones
    The nets snag the propellers of attacking drones
    Image: BBC
    The nets snag the propellers of attacking drones Source Full size
  • FPV drones have cameras that feed information back to their controllers
    FPV drones have cameras that feed information back to their controllers
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    FPV drones have cameras that feed information back to their controllers Source Full size
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  • Zelensky said he could never give up land that Russia has not been able to capture
    Zelensky said he could never give up land that Russia has not been able to capture
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    Zelensky said he could never give up land that Russia has not been able to capture (AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Zelensky said earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the last four years
    Zelensky said earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the last four years
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    Zelensky said earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the last four years (Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Ukraine and Russia have been fighting since 2014 when President Putin ordered the occupation and annexation of Crimea on the Black Sea
    Ukraine and Russia have been fighting since 2014 when President Putin ordered the occupation and annexation of Crimea on the Black Sea
    Image: BBC
    Ukraine and Russia have been fighting since 2014 when President Putin ordered the occupation and annexation of Crimea on the Black Sea (Getty Images) Source Full size
  • In Kyiv, civilians are being killed in their own homes by Russian drones and ballistic missiles
    In Kyiv, civilians are being killed in their own homes by Russian drones and ballistic missiles
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    In Kyiv, civilians are being killed in their own homes by Russian drones and ballistic missiles (Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • The Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022
    The Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022
    Image: BBC
    The Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 (Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Lviv in western Ukraine, where families were send to from Lozova
    Lviv in western Ukraine, where families were send to from Lozova
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    Lviv in western Ukraine, where families were send to from Lozova Source Full size
  • President Zelensky said if Ukraine is to fight on, it will need increasing levels of European support
    President Zelensky said if Ukraine is to fight on, it will need increasing levels of European support
    Image: BBC
    President Zelensky said if Ukraine is to fight on, it will need increasing levels of European support (AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Russia has made concerted and effective attacks on Ukraine's power and heating grid
    Russia has made concerted and effective attacks on Ukraine's power and heating grid
    Image: BBC
    Russia has made concerted and effective attacks on Ukraine's power and heating grid Source Full size

Russia ramps up theater‑wide air‑interdiction to weaken Ukraine’s front before a spring‑summer offensive. Since late 2025 Russian forces have intensified strikes on supply routes, command nodes and logistics hubs across multiple oblasts, aiming to erode Ukrainian defensive capacity ahead of a planned 2026 push [2]. The campaign targets highways, railways and bridges, with at least nine train attacks recorded since July 2025 [2]. After SpaceX disabled Russian use of Starlink on 1 Feb 2026, Moscow shifted to mesh‑networked drones and longer‑range glide bombs to sustain the BAI effort [2].

Ukraine counters with high‑netting barriers and low‑cost FPV drones. Ukrainian troops have strung miles of donated fishing nets, including 280 tonnes of Scottish salmon nets, over roads in Donetsk to test drone impact resistance and protect convoys [1]. Modern FPV drones now run on 25 km fiber‑optic cables, allowing pilots to destroy main‑battle tanks for roughly $1,000 per unit [1]. These cheap drones complement Ukraine’s broader effort to disrupt Russian drone squadrons such as Rubicon and Day of Judgement [1].

Starlink remains a decisive communications advantage for Kyiv despite restrictions. Poland‑funded terminals give Ukraine a resilient satellite link after Musk’s shutdown of Russian‑registered terminals inside Ukraine [1]. The 1 Feb 2026 SpaceX block curtailed Russian reconnaissance and strike precision, forcing Moscow to rely on alternative constellations while Ukraine continues to vet and authorize its own terminals [2]. Both reports note that the loss of Russian Starlink access has limited, but not eliminated, their long‑range FPV drone operations [1][2].

Civilian relief and political dynamics shape the conflict’s human dimension. Pastor Oleh Tkachenko’s bakery, rebuilt with UN World Food Programme aid, now produces 17,000 loaves weekly for outlying villages, illustrating grassroots resilience amid intensified drone attacks [1]. Meanwhile, U.S. political pressure for a summer ceasefire, voiced by former President Trump, clashes with President Zelensky’s refusal to cede the remaining 20 % of Donetsk, fearing a renewed Russian offensive within two years [1].

Russia develops substitute satellite and drone technologies while Ukraine seeks stronger defenses. Moscow is testing mesh‑network modems for Shahed swarms, UMPB‑5R glide bombs with 200 km range, and projects like Barrage‑1 and the Rassvet low‑orbit constellation as Starlink alternatives [2]. Ukrainian officials stress the urgent need for additional kinetic air‑defense systems, electronic‑warfare tools and mid‑range strike assets to protect logistics from the evolving BAI threat [2].

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Timeline

2021 – Russia conducts a direct‑ascent anti‑satellite test that destroys a satellite and creates trackable debris, prompting U.S. condemnation and highlighting the risks of space‑based weapons. [5]

Feb 2022 – Elon Musk activates Starlink in Ukraine after the invasion, providing battlefield communications; later he refuses service in Crimea, saying Ukraine would “sink most of the Russian fleet.” [2]

Dec 2025 – Two NATO intelligence services report that Russia is developing a zone‑effect anti‑satellite weapon that would flood Starlink orbits with millimeter‑sized pellets, a design that could disable multiple satellites and create widespread orbital debris. [5][6][7]

Late 2025 – Russia steps up theater‑wide battlefield air interdiction (BAI), striking logistics hubs, highways, railways and bridges deep in Ukrainian rear to weaken defenses ahead of a spring‑summer 2026 offensive. [8]

Jan 29, 2026 – Russia mounts Starlink terminals on attack drones, extending strike range to up to 500 km; Ukrainian expert Serhii Beskrestnov (“Flash”) shows BM‑35 drone images and warns the drones can reach Moldova, Poland, Romania and Lithuania. [4]

Feb 2, 2026 – Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says the 75 km/h speed limit on Starlink terminals “produces real results” and calls Elon Musk a “true champion of freedom.” [2]

Feb 5, 2026 – Ukraine disables all Russian‑operated Starlink terminals on the front line, creating a “catastrophe” for Russian command‑and‑control, while updating a whitelist of approved Ukrainian terminals. [3]

Feb 5, 2026 – In Abu Dhabi, Ukraine‑Russia‑U.S. talks yield a reciprocal exchange of 157 prisoners of war and a pledge for further negotiations; Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov calls the talks “truly constructive.” [3]

Feb 23, 2026 – Russia accelerates BAI as Starlink access is cut off; Fedorov notes Starlink‑equipped Molniya drones operate at low altitude, resist EW and strike 100‑500 km targets, prompting Ukraine to seek more kinetic air‑defense, EW and mid‑range strike assets. [8]

Feb 24, 2026 – Ukrainian forces string miles of high‑netting over roads using donated fishing nets, test drone impacts, and rely on Polish‑funded Starlink after Musk disables Russian terminals; a senior Ukrainian officer warns Russia’s elite Rubicon and “Day of Judgement” drone units are “cherished” core war assets. [1]

Summer 2026 (future) – U.S. political pressure, led by President Trump, pushes for a ceasefire to aid his mid‑term narrative, but President Zelensky refuses to cede the remaining 20 % of Donetsk, fearing a renewed Russian offensive within two years. [1]

Mid‑2026 (future) – Ukraine plans to field additional kinetic air‑defense systems, electronic‑warfare tools and mid‑range strike platforms to counter Russian BAI, mesh‑networked drones and emerging low‑orbit constellations. [8]

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