Throughout 2025, russian companies and vendors continued to import Starlink products. These systems often reach the battlefield in Ukraine, providing the russian military with vital communications capabilities, particularly in frontline areas where internet networks are degraded or unavailable. This has occurred despite western sanctions and Elon Musk’s official position that SpaceX does not “directly or indirectly” sell Starlinks to russia, writes Ryan X for nordsint.org.
In practice, russian forces procure Starlink terminals through a network of parallel imports. These systems are activated using subscriber accounts registered in third countries, often in Europe, allowing operators to circumvent blocking measures.
Some imported Starlink systems have appeared in russian conformity databases, where they are declared for compliance with russian technical regulations. While many declarations correctly identify the manufacturer as SpaceX, the producer of Starlink hardware, others contain inaccurate or inconsistent producer information. In several cases, the listed producer address does not correspond to SpaceX. In others, the manufacturer is attributed to an entirely different company.
Starlink boxes at a military exposition in Mariupol, September 2025
On June 27, 2025, a conformity declaration was filed for a product listed as a “Starlink Marine Navigation Kit.” The manufacturer was identified only as “Starlink,” but the address provided—Rijnzathe 4, 3454 PV De Meern, the Netherlands—corresponds to Castor Marine, a Dutch company specializing in maritime IT and communication services. According to its website, Castor Marine is an official Starlink Maritime reseller.
Certain Starlink models such as the Flat High Performance Kit are designed for maritime and land vehicle use. They offer enhanced protection from environmental damages as well as a wider field of view compared to standard models. Flat High Performance Kits, which cost around seven times more than standard systems, are available from russian vendors offering Global Priority plans for worldwide coverage. Writing on Telegram, one such vendor noted: “We manage dishes not only for soldiers in the Special Military Operation, but also support equipment used in seas and oceans around the world.”
Inconsistencies also appear in earlier records. In July 2024, a declaration of generation two and three Starlinks appeared in databases, with the indicated manufacturer address being that of a Tesla dealership in Amsterdam.
While conformity declarations do not, on their own, establish the precise chain of shipments, they have recorded the commercial entities involved in supply pathways, which is reflected in earlier filings.
Declaration document for a maritime Starlink kit containing the address of Castor Marine
A conformity declaration registered on May 13, 2024 for Starlink routers identified the manufacturer as “Emaross Group FZE,” listing an address in the United Arab Emirates. Emaross Group is a freight forwarding company based in Sharjah, which according to its website specializes “in sourcing and delivering both new and used vehicles.” In this case, photographic evidence allows the declaration to be linked to physical shipments.
On May 21, 2024, the Telegram channel “ZOV СВОих” which advertises Starlink systems for military use published photographs showing a shipment of Starlink units. Stickers visible on the packaging carried Emaross Cargo branding and included the company’s website, emaross.com. The correspondence between the conformity declaration and the shipping labels suggests that Emaross was the originating logistics provider for the shipment which later entered russia.
Shipments of Starlinks with Emaross Cargo stickers
Conformity declaration databases also contain entries that point to suppliers or intermediaries in Hong Kong. On March 6, 2025, a Novosibirsk-based company, LLC “ФЦС,” filed declarations for products described as “Starlink Wi-Fi routers.” In these filings, the manufacturer was listed as “Di Global Limited” rather than SpaceX.
The address provided for Di Global Limited—Unit 1010–1015, 10/F, Tower B, New Mandarin Plaza, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong—corresponds to the location of Sun Secretarial Services, a firm offering company registration and management services. While this address also appears in a list of radio dealer licenses for the company, official business registries show a different registered office: Office No. 26, 10/F, Beverley Commercial Centre, 87–105 Chatham Road South.
A website for a company operating under the same name and also based in Hong Kong describes itself as an “official partner and distributor of DJI” and advertises products from other major electronics brands, including Samsung and Apple. The company is also a vendor of pharmaceutical products.
Screenshot of Starlink Declaration with the address of Di Global Limited
These sourcing pathways appear to feed directly into the domestic availability of Starlink systems in russia. Starlink terminals remain operational for russian forces in Ukraine and are widely available for both military and civilian use through major online marketplaces including Wildberries and Ozon. Certain retailers advertise Starlink systems explicitly for military use, in some cases offering camouflage guidance for terminals following purchase.
One such retailer is Valentina Vashchukova, who has declared Starlink devices in conformity databases. Vachukova’s business details are listed on the website starlink777.ru, which currently links a Telegram channel with over 271,000 subscribers. Additionally, Telegram accounts linked to phone numbers listed on the website sell other parallel import goods, such as Apple products and electronics produced by western brands. The website advertises wholesale purchases of Starlink equipment, stating that products are supplied via “direct shipments from Dubai and Hong Kong,” aligning with the locations identified in conformity declarations.
Starlink panels have also been found in russian UAVs. Variants of the Molniya-2 reconnaissance and suicide attack drone have been equipped with the system, allowing for continuous long-range communication with the drone operator. Electronic warfare expert Serhiy Beskrestnov assessed that a strike on parked Ukrainian aircraft near Poltava published on December 29, 2025 was conducted using Starlink equipped Molniya drones. Previously, in January 2024, kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov said that Starlink “is not a certified system with us; accordingly, it cannot be officially supplied here and is not officially supplied. Accordingly, it cannot be used officially in any way.”
Molniya-2 drone in flight with attached Starlink antenna
At the time of publication, Tesla Motors, Castor Marine, Emaross Cargo, and DI Global have not responded to requests for comment sent via email.
