Ukrainian hackers gather data on Russian positions and Starlink terminals via Telegram

The 256 Cyber Assault Division, together with InformNapalm and MILITAN, have collected information on 2,420 Russian Starlink terminals and precise frontline positions, offering Russians to register their terminals in Ukraine to bypass restrictions.

Source: InformNapalm

Details: In addition to data packages gathered during this operation, US$5,870 in donations from Russian military personnel were obtained and redirected to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thirty-one Ukrainians who attempted to assist Russians were also identified, and their personal information was passed to relevant security services.

According to InformNapalm, after SpaceX restricted Russian access to Starlink, the Russians began seeking "drops" in Ukraine – individuals willing to activate terminals for extra payment. These expected actions were exploited to harm Russia.

The 256 Cyber Assault Division, InformNapalm and MILITAN created a network of Telegram channels and bots offering Russians to activate their Starlink while actually collecting information on their positions. The data on the terminals was then transferred to the relevant structures to fully block them.

Background:

• At the end of January, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence contacted SpaceX to resolve the issue of Starlink usage by Russian military personnel. By early February, this yielded results. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote that the measures worked.
• Shortly after, Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Ukrainian military personnel need to register their Starlink terminals to ensure continued operation. He later added that Ukrainian Starlink terminals included in the "white list" are operational, while Russian terminals remain inactive.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!