- Ukrainian hacktivist group “256 Cyber Assault Division,” with InformNapalm and MILITANT, said it conducted an operation to identify Russian military-linked Starlink terminals and users seeking activation.
- The group reported collecting 2,420 data packages on Russian terminals and positions and transferring the information for blocking and law enforcement action.
A Ukrainian hacktivist group known as “256 Cyber Assault Division,” working alongside OSINT organizations InformNapalm and MILITANT, announced it conducted a counter-operation targeting Russian efforts to bypass Starlink restrictions and activate terminals through Ukrainian intermediaries.
In a statement, the group said it launched a network of channels and bots to identify Russian military personnel attempting to regain access to Starlink satellite terminals after reported communication disruptions.
“Probably everyone has already seen online information that the Russians are trying to find ‘drops’ among Ukrainian citizens who, for 30 crypto-shekels, are ready to activate Russian Starlinks in their own name,” the group said.
The statement continued: “This is not surprising, as the sharp transition from capitalist communication to ‘analognet’ technologies caused a collapse in the enemy’s communications, the suspension of assaults and drone attacks by the invader in many sectors of the front.”
The hacktivists said they created online channels offering activation services “for a modest reward” in order to collect data from Russian users seeking to restore satellite connectivity.
“Understanding how desperately this mold would look for opportunities to restore the operation of Elon Musk’s dish and what threats this poses, we, together with InformNapalm and MILITANT, decided to ‘help’ them and created a network of channels and bots where we offered activation services for a modest reward,” the statement said.
According to the group, within one week of the operation it collected:
“2420 data packages on enemy Starlinks and precise enemy positions; 31 requests from traitors willing to become ‘drops’ for activation; $5,870 in donations from Russian servicemen who were desperately looking for a solution to the communication problem.”
The group stated that information on the terminals was transferred for “their final transfer into brick mode (together with the personnel nearby).” It added that data on alleged collaborators “is already being processed by employees of our law enforcement agencies.”
Starlink terminals, produced by SpaceX, provide satellite-based internet connectivity and have been widely used on the battlefield for command, control, and drone operations. Access to the system has been a contested issue during the war, with reports of attempts by Russian forces to acquire or activate terminals through intermediaries.
The operation described by the Ukrainian hacktivists focused specifically on identifying Russian military-linked terminals and individuals attempting to facilitate activation from Ukrainian territory.
The disclosure underscores the role of cyber and information operations alongside kinetic military actions in the ongoing war. Efforts to restrict or disrupt satellite communications directly affect frontline coordination and unmanned aerial operations.