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Ukrainian drones use Israeli HiSKY satellite terminals to bypass Starlink

Bottom line

Russian KCPN claims Ukrainian drones are using Israeli HiSKY SmartLight Sirius 16x16 satellite terminals to conduct strikes in Russia, bypassing Starlink restrictions.

Why it matters

The adoption of alternative satellite terminals like HiSKY indicates Ukrainian efforts to diversify communications infrastructure to counter Russian EW, potentially reducing the effectiveness of Russian spectrum dominance and Starlink-dependent targeting.

Russian Engineer (rusengineer) reports that Russian electronic warfare units (KCPN) have identified Ukrainian drones utilizing Israeli HiSKY SmartLight Sirius 16x16 satellite terminals for strikes within Russian territory. This method reportedly allows Ukrainian forces to bypass Starlink restrictions and maintain communications in contested areas. The claim suggests a shift in Ukrainian drone communications infrastructure towards alternative satellite terminals to mitigate Russian electronic warfare and connectivity disruptions.

Pictures from the cited posts

Evidence — 1 independent origin

  • Telegram channel, Russian side:Русский инженер (Russian Engineer)source Borigin t.me
    Original text (excerpt)

    ❗️ ❗️ ОЧЕНЬ ВАЖНО. МАКСИМАЛЬНЫЙ РЕПОСТ ❗️ ❗️ ВСУ уже используют европейские терминалы спутниковой связи на БПЛА для ударов вглубь России ! ⚡️ Аналитический центр КЦПН получил достоверные данные применения противником дальнобойных ударных БПЛА, управляемых через европейские спутни

NamedHiSKY SmartLight Sirius 16x16Topicsdronescomponentselectronic warfarerussia

Related findings

← Latest findings · All findings from October 2026

History · version 1 · first published · last substantive update

Cite this finding
Robot War (2026). Ukrainian drones use Israeli HiSKY satellite terminals to bypass Starlink. Hetzner OSINT, 29 October 2026. https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-10-29--ukrainian-drones-use-israeli-hisky-satellite-terminals-to-bypass-starl/

@misc{robotwar-2026-10-29--ukrainian-drones-use-israeli-hisky-satellite-terminals-to-bypass-starl,
  title = {Ukrainian drones use Israeli HiSKY satellite terminals to bypass Starlink},
  author = {Robot War},
  howpublished = {\url{https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-10-29--ukrainian-drones-use-israeli-hisky-satellite-terminals-to-bypass-starl/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Hetzner OSINT finding B3}
}

Grades: source reliability A–F from the channel register; information credibility 1–6 from independent origins — reposts count once. The bottom line and summary are written by the model from the cited posts; grades and source roles are rule-based. Methodology 2026-10-18.v7 · Corrections · JSON · RSS · API performance

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