While SpaceX does not sell units to Russia directly, Russian troops in Ukraine continue to obtain Starlink terminals through shadowy supply chains and intermediaries.The proliferation of Starlink terminals among Russian front-line troops has contributed to Moscow's recent battlefield gains, including the occupation of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, the WP reports, citing several Ukrainian soldiers and military officers. "They just overpowered us," an officer in the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, one of the units defending Vuhledar, told the WP. The officer said Russia's access to Starlink was a key factor in the loss of the city, along with weapons and personnel shortages. A drone platoon commander with the 93rd Mechanized Brigade said that while Ukraine's Starlink terminals previously gave them a technological edge over Russian forces, that advantage has now disappeared.