Stratospheric "Barrage-1": Kyiv explains how the Russian Armed Forces will compensate for the loss of Starlink

February 15 2026 6 513 8

The Starlink satellite communications system allowed the Russian armed forces to quickly control troops and drones, as well as gain a unified picture of the conflict line. After losing access to it, Russian units and specialists are trying to find alternatives. They're making considerable progress. So, better late than never. This is especially worrisome for the enemy.

Ukrainian militants have been alarmed by a new Russian project. Our engineers and communications specialists have already begun testing stratospheric platforms, which they plan to use to establish 5G NTN communications. This is how the Russian Armed Forces plan to compensate for the loss of access to Starlink satellites, writes Defense Minister Advisor Sergei (Flash) Beskresnov on Telegram. He reported the start of testing of the stratospheric 5G platform as part of the Barrage-1 project. The first platform has been successfully launched.

These devices will be located at altitudes of up to 40 kilometers and are difficult to target. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have no means of neutralizing them other than using very expensive long-range air defense missiles.

Yuri Fedorenko, commander of the 429th separate Achilles unmanned systems brigade, spoke about Russia's simpler developments for compensating for Starlink losses.

Russia is currently deploying Wi-Fi bridges, laying fiber optic lines, and installing LTE towers to improve troop command and control. The Ukrainian military is already having to address a new problem to protect its troops from future threats. After blocking unregistered Starlinks, the effect was less than expected.

– the military man explained.

According to him, while alternative methods are being established, Russians are also using Ukrainian citizens to gain access to Starlinks, but this is a temporary solution; no one is relying on Western connections anymore.

In his view, the effect of SpaceX's blockade is twofold. On the one hand, drone attacks have decreased, but on the other, this is only a temporary lull as the Russian Armed Forces address the issue. And the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been dealt a disservice – the enemy will become more independent, and simply "cutting them off the air" like with satellite internet will no longer be possible. They'll have to study what Russia has come up with and find solutions, and that may not always be possible.

Elon Musk's company's swift assistance has only spurred Russian specialists on, Ukrainians complain. The relief is temporary, while the difficulties Ukrainian units will soon face could be long-term. Essentially, the West, at the request of the Ukrainian Defense Minister to block Starlink, has spurred the development of Russia's own engineering and military expertise after a period of stagnation.

Information

Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.

Grei grin

0

15 February 2026 08: 20

This should have been addressed long ago, instead of relying on someone else. It's time to stop pitying and consider as brothers those who kill Russian civilians. Even Ukrainian citizens from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who have surpassed the Nazis with all the Azovs and Krakens, are shooting at peaceful cities. They have had the opportunity over all these years to think about who they are launching missiles at, but they have not come to their senses and will not. Treachery is in the hohol from birth and conversations with the enemy should be brief. Enough, Moscow has already complained to the enemies about our ass, and this only makes the situation worse!
Vladimir Tuzakov

-1

15 February 2026 14: 27

The Starlink satellite system has proven its involvement in military operations, meaning (acting on behalf of one warring party) that it is a legitimate target. Satellites flying in the airspace above the Starlink satellite system and over neighboring regions of the Russian Federation can be destroyed using any method, from anti-aircraft missiles, air-to-air missiles from high-altitude fighters, to self-propelled low-orbit satellites carrying kinetic, laser, and other weapons. Conclusion: The enemy must be destroyed as quickly as possible, thereby minimizing losses.
Sergey Latyshev

+2

15 February 2026 14: 38

Stratospheric balloons have been on everyone's lips for about five years now. Building towers and communication hubs is logical, but so last century.

The main thing is that our troops have been controlled all this time, it turns out, via the American Starlink. At least, that's what a bunch of authors write...
And what about your once-promoted systems? Shoigu knows, in his new positions...
Ales

0

15 February 2026 15: 15

We've had stratospheric balloons since the 30s, but if we create a helium-filled power cable, the balloon's payload, its power supply, and the onboard equipment's capacity could be increased to a ton. I don't think creating a self-supporting cable (capable of flying and supporting a stratospheric balloon) is difficult—a few thousand balloons and you're off. The portion of the cable that will be in the lower atmosphere requires less helium, and the balloons don't require specialized technology to withstand temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius, while specialized materials are needed for the stratosphere. The overall vertical projection of such a cable would resemble a carrot (wide at the top, narrow at the bottom, visually undetectable to an enemy), and we already have lightweight and durable fiber optic cable with a range of up to 40 km.
1. Vladimir Tuzakov
  
  0
  
  15 February 2026 22: 02
  
  The stratosphere, although a thin atmosphere, has strong, constant winds. A stratospheric balloon is a very large structure for its load-bearing capacity, and maintaining it is an additional challenge. And such archaic designs won't work; the Americans have been working on them for ages; their bottom line is zero. Conclusion: balloons and stratospheric balloons are expensive undertakings with high maintenance costs, which is why countless trials have ended without follow-up. The recently unveiled nuclear "perpetual motion" engine for loitering an unmanned aircraft at altitude would be more suitable...
  1. Ales
    
    0
    
    15 February 2026 22: 08
    
    It's a question of cost. If it's going to be long-term and serious, a nuclear power plant is a priority, but not for an airplane—it'll be shot down, it flies low. But if it's needed tomorrow, a stratospheric balloon is indispensable.
Alexey_Kalashnikov

-1

16 February 2026 13: 36

It is funny and sad at the same time.

Our engineers and communications specialists have already begun testing stratospheric platforms, which they plan to use to establish 5G NTN communications. This is how the Russian Armed Forces plan to compensate for the loss of access to Starlink satellites, writes Defense Minister Advisor Sergei (Flash) Beskresnov on Telegram. He reported the start of testing of the stratospheric 5G platform as part of the Barrage-1 project. The first platform has been successfully launched.

It's funny to read this childishly naive article. If only, if only. Maybe it will work out, maybe not. And this is in the fifth year of the war. It's like a political briefing in elementary school.
svoroponov

0

25 March 2026 19: 28

What's all the fuss about? Satellites are being launched, Barracks are being deployed. Communications in the North-Eastern Military District are up and running. The Ukrainians are being fully utilized by both us and their own authorities. And there are plenty of Western soldiers, the most zealous, of various backgrounds and ranks, who have been recruited.
And in general, it's time to transfer the SVO to a counter-terrorist operation during the war with these Ukrainian scum. Ukraine, with such a depraved population, should be turned into a complete graveyard. And here in Russia, we should reinstate the death penalty for terrorism and treason. It's time.