February 18, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Russia Eyes Balloon Communications System To Fill Massive Gap Left After Losing Starlink
SpaceX has cut off Russia's access to Starlink and now Moscow is scrambling to find a replacement. The post Russia Eyes Balloon Communications System To Fill Massive Gap Left After Losing Starlink appeared first on The...
Russia is developing a new balloon-borne system that could provide battlefield access to high-speed data communications at a time when its forces are desperate to keep connected. The testing of the Barrage-1 balloon comes as Ukrainian troops are taking advantage of Russia’s loss of access to the SpaceX Starlink satellite constellation network. Both sides have become dependent on the SpaceX system for daily wartime operations, but the restrictions on Russia’s use of Starlink are allowing Kyiv’s forces to fend off attacks in some areas while advancing in others.
You can read more about Russia’s Starlink troubles in our initial story here. As we previously noted, the introduction of Starlink to the battlefield in Ukraine revolutionized how war is waged,giving users high bandwidth, relatively secure communications basically anywhere, all in a small, off-the-shelf package. Though Elon Musk’s SpaceX company provided them to Ukraine, Russians soon came to rely on them as well.