After Starlink disconnection, Russian troops open fire on their own in Zaporizhzhya sector
In the Zaporizhzhya sector, Russian troops opened fire on their own forces after losing communication, which they attribute to the disconnection of the satellite Internet system Starlink. As a result of the incident an assault group of 12 people was eliminated. This was reported by the resistance movement «ATES».
Details of the incident
According to the available information, the occupation forces lost coordination due to a communication breakdown, after which the Russian positions mistook their attack aircraft for Ukrainian forces and opened fire.
As a result of «friendly fire», the entire assault group was destroyed. No other confirmed details on the time of the incident or the specific area of the frontline have been released.
Context.
Communication issues remain a critical factor on the battlefield, especially for units using unmanned systems and digital coordination. Loss of stable access to satellite internet can lead to disruption of command and control and increase the risk of mistaken attacks on own forces.
Similar cases of «friendly fire» were repeatedly recorded during the hostilities, in particular in conditions of limited visibility, chaotic manoeuvring of units and disruption of communication systems.
Ukrainian
English
