Estonian intelligence says communications disruptions hindering Russian efforts in Ukraine

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Estonia's military intelligence alleged on Friday that restrictions on Starlink and Telegram have slowed down Russia's operations in Ukraine, according to broadcaster ERR.

Ants Kiviselg, director of the Estonian Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Center, told reporters that restrictions on Starlink’s satellite network and Moscow’s own limits on Telegram had reduced drone strikes and slowed internal communications among Russian units in Ukraine.

He claimed that Russia's command, fire orders, and unit coordination have been disrupted as a result, supporting Ukrainian counterattacks.

"We can't say the Russian chain of command has collapsed, but it certainly has been impacted by these events," Kiviselg said.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksey Krivoruchko acknowledged on Wednesday that Starlink terminals used by the country’s military have been disabled for the past two weeks, though underlining that this has not affected the intensity or effectiveness of its drone operations.

Separately, a senior government official said Wednesday that Russia’s communications and media regulator decided to slow down the Telegram messaging app under federal law.