Journalists have discovered that tankers in Russia’s “shadow fleet” use Starlink
2 April 21:55
Ships belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which are used to circumvent international sanctions, may be using Starlink satellite terminals for communication and coordination.
This is according to an investigation by The Kyiv Independent, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
Journalists spoke with two Ukrainian sailors who, according to them, unwittingly agreed to work on ships linked to the Russian “shadow fleet.”
How Communication Is Organized
According to the sailors, communication between the tankers and their owners is often maintained using Western technology, specifically:
- satellite phones;
- Starlink
Starlink terminals.
Journalists from The Kyiv Independent confirmed the use of this technology through several additional sources who worked on other vessels in Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
According to them, the terminals can be purchased through intermediaries, and crew access to them is usually restricted. Meanwhile, the ship’s captain maintains constant communication with shipowners and intermediaries during the voyage.
How crews are paid
Most crew members on such ships are paid in Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar.
According to the sailors, the payroll for a single tanker with a crew of about 30 people can amount to:
- about $120,000 per month;
- nearly $1.5 million per year.
Reaction from Ukrainian authorities
Vladislav Vlasyuk, the President of Ukraine’s Representative on Sanctions Policy, called the use of Starlink to circumvent sanctions or violate maritime safety rules unacceptable.
According to him, the Ukrainian side expects SpaceX to take measures to prevent the use of the technology by “shadow fleets” from various countries, including Russia, Venezuela, and Iran.
Use of Starlink during the war
The issue of Russians using Starlink has been raised repeatedly in Ukraine.
Recently, Ukrainian authorities introduced mandatory registration of satellite communication terminals to limit their use by Russian forces. Only devices on the so-called “white list”—which have been verified through the Diya app, administrative service centers, or the DELTA military system—are permitted to operate.
The decision was made following reports that Russian troops were using Starlink on drones to improve the accuracy of their attacks.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Minister of Defense, stated that remotely controlled “Shahed”-type drones attacked a passenger train in the Kharkiv region.
Following this, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov announced that the Ukrainian side had contacted SpaceX and proposed solutions to the problem.
Later, Beskrestnov noted that the company had begun imposing restrictions on the use of the technology in drones.
