New Russian Weapon: Targeting Starlink

“Russia has begun using the Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system to jam signals from the Starlink satellite constellation. According to Ukrainian specialists, this system is used in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

 

This system is primarily used to disrupt signals that control unmanned systems whose operating range exceeds the limits of fiber-optic control. It is also used against communication, reconnaissance and coordination systems that support artillery operations. The Starlink terminals installed in Ukrainian equipment operate by directing a narrow beam at the satellite above them. It is said that it is practically impossible to detect and jam each individual channel, so it is more effective to find and jam the satellite itself. Starlink satellites receive signals in the 14-14.5 GHz frequency band. This band is divided into eight channels, each 62.5 MHz wide. Volna Kupol Garant interferes with this transmission by directing powerful signals at a passing satellite. The system uses eight antennas to disrupt stable communication.

 

The main feature of Starlink is that the system consists of thousands of satellites operating at an altitude of about 500 kilometers. It is said that blocking them all is very difficult, if not impossible.

 

One Volna Kupol Garant system blocks an area of ​​​​about 20 square kilometers. This roughly corresponds to a circle with a radius of about 2.5 kilometers.

 

Therefore, this system can be used to protect specific objects - these can be oil refineries, military bases or bridges, but it is said that this requires the use of many systems. Such a solution is expensive - one Volna Kupol Garant system costs about 100 million rubles, or about 1.5 million US dollars. The system also requires significant resources to power, both from the external network and from its own diesel generators. However, it is said that these costs are not decisive compared to the value of the protected objects.

 

Another challenge is the protection of the systems themselves. Since Volna Kupol Garant emits strong signals, it is easy to detect, so it can become a target for attack. Its positions must be protected by special cloaking devices and air defense systems. The system itself is mounted on six trailers, each of which is equipped with two antennas. Even if two trailers are destroyed, the remaining trailers can continue to operate effectively. However, this design has disadvantages when relocating the system. Relocating the system takes time, the power must be turned off, the cables must be disconnected, the antennas must be arranged, and the entire complex must be reassembled. Volna Kupol Garant is being developed by the Russkiy Kupol company. According to Ukrainians, the first cases of the system interfering with the operation of Starlink satellites were recorded in the Kharkiv region in 2024. The system was reportedly quickly detected and destroyed. It is said that the wider use of Volna Kupol Garant has only now begun - and this is associated with the intensification of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian infrastructure, writes Defense Industry Europe.”