Russian security officials told Sputnik that the Ukrainian military uses a satellite system from British company OneWeb to control USVs in the Black Sea.
“The OneWeb terminal is integrated into the control system of the USV. OneWeb is currently used as a secondary channel alongside the main system, the US Starlink,” the source said, adding that one such vehicle was captured by the Russian military.
He explained that unlike Starlink, which operates thousands of low-orbit satellites, OneWeb deploys its network in medium Earth orbit. This allows each satellite to cover a wider area, but requires more complex and expensive user terminals.
In 2022, Russia’s federal agency Roscosmos demanded that the UK guarantee that the OneWeb satellite network would not be used against Russia. The company did not comply, and the launch of the OneWeb satellite on a Russian rocket was canceled.
MNA/