Ukraine’s 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment just took out two Russian electronic warfare systems specifically built to jam Starlink satellite communications. The systems, known as “Volna Kupol Garant” or simply Guarantor, were deployed near Melitopol in occupied southern Ukraine, and each one costs roughly $1.5 million.
How Russia tried to blind Ukraine’s drone fleet
The Guarantor systems work by targeting Starlink’s uplink frequency band of 14 to 14.5 GHz. In plain English, they try to drown out the signal between ground terminals and satellites overhead, making it impossible for Ukrainian drone operators to coordinate attacks in real time.
The jamming affects satellite reception over a localized area of approximately 20 square kilometers. The systems were positioned to protect Russian logistics routes against Ukrainian UAVs that have been hammering supply lines in occupied territory.
The Guarantor systems are manufactured by Russkiy Kupol, a company based in occupied Crimea.
