Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: The battle for control of the skies above Ukraine is increasingly becoming a battle for control of the signals that connect modern weapons. A Russian electronic warfare system built specifically to interfere with Starlink communications has reportedly been destroyed in Gelendzhik, southern Russia, marking another setback for Moscow’s efforts to counter Ukraine’s long-range drone operations.
Satellite imagery shared by the Dnipro OSINT community indicates that Ukrainian forces struck a Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system at a Russian security facility in Gelendzhik. The system is designed to disrupt communication between Starlink satellites and ground terminals, potentially affecting drone operations that depend on satellite connectivity.
If confirmed, the strike would represent the third publicly documented destruction of a Volna Kupol Garant system. Reuters previously reported that Russian forces had deployed the system to counter Ukrainian drones and that Ukrainian units had begun treating the equipment as a priority target.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Ukraine Targets Russia’s Anti-Starlink System
The reported strike took place at Military Unit 2156, identified as the Novorossiysk Border Detachment of Russia’s Federal Security Service Border Service.
The satellite imagery reportedly shows damage at the location of the Russian electronic warfare installation.
According to the open-source assessment, the first strike may have occurred around August 7, around the same period as attacks on cargo vessels near Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik. Another strike reportedly hit the same military unit on August 8.
The exact circumstances surrounding the attack remain subject to open-source assessment, and the imagery does not independently establish which weapons were used.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: What is Volna Kupol Garant?
The Volna Kupol Garant is a Russian electronic warfare system designed to interfere with Starlink satellite communications.
Unlike conventional jammers that focus primarily on nearby communication terminals, the system reportedly directs powerful radio interference toward Starlink satellites passing over a particular area.
Russian and Ukrainian sources have described the system as capable of temporarily disrupting satellite communication within a localised zone. Reuters reported in July that Ukrainian commanders had identified the system as one of Russia’s tools for countering Starlink-dependent drones.
The system reportedly uses multiple satellite antennas mounted on trailers, allowing operators to track satellites and direct interference toward them.
Technical reporting has described the system as operating in the 14-14.5 GHz range, with a reported coverage area of up to 20 square kilometres. Ukrainian officials have also said the equipment can be deployed in both stationary and mobile configurations.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Why Russia is Targeting Starlink?
Starlink has become an important part of Ukraine’s battlefield communications and drone operations.
Ukrainian forces use satellite connectivity to maintain communications over long distances, including during operations involving drones targeting Russian logistics, fuel facilities and military infrastructure.
Reuters reported that Russian forces began deploying electronic warfare systems to disrupt Starlink as Ukraine expanded its use of remotely operated drones for strikes behind the front line.
The emergence of the Volna Kupol Garant therefore reflects a broader technological contest. Ukraine has relied on satellite communications to improve drone operations, while Russia has developed systems designed to interfere with those links.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Why the Russian Jammer Has Become a Priority Target
The same technology that makes the Volna Kupol Garant useful also creates a major vulnerability.
Because the system must transmit powerful radio signals, electronic intelligence systems can potentially detect its emissions and help locate the installation.
Reports have previously said Ukrainian drone units identified and destroyed similar systems after detecting their positions.
Reuters reported that Ukrainian forces had already destroyed at least two Volna Kupol Garant systems by July, while Ukrainian officials said several more had been detected.
The reported destruction in Gelendzhik would therefore add another system to the list.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Russia’s Anti-Starlink Strategy Is Expanding
Russia has increasingly relied on electronic warfare to challenge Ukraine’s technological advantages.
The Volna Kupol Garant is one of several systems designed to interfere with communications or navigation. Its particular purpose is to target the satellite link that enables Starlink-connected equipment to communicate with ground terminals.
Defence technology analysts have described the system as part of Russia’s effort to deny Ukraine access to satellite communications at the local tactical level. Inside GNSS reported that Russian forces were scaling up deployment of the system as Ukraine expanded Starlink-enabled drone operations.
The system’s development highlights how satellite communications have moved from being a supporting technology to becoming a direct target in modern warfare.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: How Much Does Volna Kupol Garant Cost?
The Volna Kupol Garant is also a valuable military asset.
Reports cited by Ukrainian sources have placed the cost of a single system at around 150 million Russian rubles, or approximately $1.8 million based on the figures in the original report.
The reported destruction therefore represents not only the loss of an electronic warfare capability but also the loss of an expensive specialised system.
However, the actual procurement cost and the number of systems currently deployed remain difficult to independently verify.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Third Documented Destruction Reported
Open-source researchers have previously documented the destruction of similar Russian systems.
The Ukrainian 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment and the Security Service of Ukraine’s Special Operations Center “A” have been linked to earlier strikes against Volna Kupol Garant systems.
Ukrainian officials have presented the destruction of these systems as part of efforts to preserve Starlink connectivity for drone operations.
Reports from June said Ukrainian forces had already destroyed multiple systems after Russia began deploying them more widely.
The reported Gelendzhik strike would bring the number of publicly documented destroyed systems to three, according to the open-source assessment.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Russia’s Electronic Warfare Push
Russia has continued to invest heavily in electronic warfare as Ukraine expands its use of drones and satellite-enabled communications.
The Volna Kupol Garant reportedly represents a more specialised approach because it attempts to interfere with the satellite side of the communications link.
Russian defence reporting has claimed that the system can “stun” individual Starlink satellites while they pass over an area rather than permanently disabling the wider Starlink network.
That distinction is important because Starlink operates as a large satellite constellation. Disrupting individual satellites or a local service area does not mean that the entire network has been disabled.
Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: What the Gelendzhik Strike Means
The reported destruction shows that Russia’s electronic warfare systems are becoming important targets in Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign.
Ukraine is not only attempting to destroy conventional military assets such as fuel facilities, logistics centres and air-defence systems. It is also targeting the technology Russia uses to interfere with Ukrainian drones and communications.
That creates a cycle of adaptation: Russia develops new systems to disrupt Ukrainian capabilities, while Ukraine develops new methods to locate and destroy those systems.
The reported Gelendzhik strike is another example of that technology-driven contest.
Ukraine-Russia War: What Happens Next?
The future effectiveness of systems such as Volna Kupol Garant will depend on whether Russia can deploy them in larger numbers while protecting them from Ukrainian surveillance and strikes.
For Ukraine, the challenge will be maintaining reliable satellite communications as Russia improves its electronic warfare capabilities.
The conflict is therefore moving beyond traditional battles over territory. Satellites, radio frequencies, drones and electronic warfare systems are increasingly shaping operations far behind the front lines.
The reported destruction of the Volna Kupol Garant in Gelendzhik suggests that Russia’s attempt to challenge Starlink is facing another obstacle, even as Moscow continues to develop new ways to disrupt Ukraine’s satellite-linked drone operations.
