00:00This is a Starlink terminal. It allows users for relatively small subscription access to fast broadband in Ukraine, anywhere in
00:11Ukraine.
00:11At least that was the case up until about three weeks ago when Elon Musk agreed under pressure from the
00:17Ukrainian government to disconnect the Russians from this piece of equipment.
00:21And that, the Ukrainians say, has dealt the Russians a very significant blow and they have been able to advance
00:29in some significant areas around Pekrosk, in the areas around Huliopule and further north on the front line in small,
00:38relatively small areas.
00:39They've been able to push Russian assaults back because the Russians have no longer been able to use these things
00:44to direct their drones.
00:46These things are frequently mounted on drones, they're mounted on vehicles and they've also demonstrated to the Ukrainians the dangers
00:55of relying too much on a single piece of technology.
00:57This has been the backbone of the Ukrainian war effort in terms of communications for most of the last four
01:04years and they are very anxious that they could lose it and therefore are trying to set up parallel systems.
01:10Now, the commander of the 3rd Brigade told me that he believed that the Russians could be so far damaged
01:16by this that they wouldn't recover for at least five years, taking the quote there.
01:21But others on the ground running ground drones and fighting the more granular, non-strategic tactical battles believed that there
01:31could be some rapid developments coming from the Russians to set up mesh systems.
01:35But whatever the realities are in terms of the long term, the Ukrainians are very, very relieved that only they
01:43have access to these things these days.
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