Starlink: A Terrifying Warning for America
For the first time in months, Ukraine is on the offensive. The Institute for the Study of War reported on March 10 that, since late January, Ukraine has retaken about 250 square miles. In contrast, Russia seized only an estimated 76 square miles last month, according to the Guardian. Though many thought this could never happen again, Ukraine is liberating more territory than it is losing.
This is all happening despite Ukraine being both outgunned and outmanned. So how is it happening? Kyiv is not on the offensive due to strategic prowess, boosted morale or any other such factor. It’s come about from an unlikely source: Elon Musk.
The reason behind Ukraine’s recent push is something that every country on Earth should take note of.
Starlink
On February 4, Starlink ceo Elon Musk became directly involved in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Up to that point, Russian forces used Starlink satellites to communicate and operate drones in a way Ukrainian forces couldn’t jam. This was essential against Kyiv, a foe that has become the world’s best at jamming drones, communication lines, etc.
The Starlink system allowed Russia to employ a military strategy where, instead of taking territory with full frontal assaults, Moscow could send in just two or three soldiers behind enemy lines at a time. These smaller groups were much harder for Ukrainian drone operators to detect and destroy. As Russia continued to send in these small groups, eventually a strong enough force would gather behind Ukraine’s front lines to spark a successful offensive.
This strategy could work only if soldiers could communicate with one another. Unfortunately for Russia, Musk restricted its ability to use Starlink in its war on February 4.
The results have been devastating for Moscow. Business Insider reported that, in the days following the Starlink cutoff, Ukraine liberated 124 square miles. The Telegraph said that from February 11-15, Ukraine liberated as much territory in four days that took Russia four weeks and thousands of lives to take.
In the time since Musk’s move, Ukraine has liberated at least nine disputed towns and may soon take another. Kyiv’s offensive is easing the front-line situation, and Russia’s forces protecting Slovyansk seem almost spent.
This comes as Russia is struggling more than usual with manpower. The Times reported that Russia is losing more men than it is recruiting. It can work to make up the difference by pulling reserves, but it planned to use these soldiers for a 2026 spring offensive—not to defend against a Ukrainian onslaught. Russia is currently losing men who weren’t supposed to join the front line until summer.
What’s Next?
Though staggering, Ukraine’s recent gains do not in any way clinch Kyiv’s victory, or even a stalemate, in this war. Yes, the road ahead for Russia is more difficult since Ukraine is now able to fortify its newly liberated territory and use the warmer months to repair its damaged infrastructure. Yes, Russia will have to find a suitable replacement for Starlink and lose more lives to retake the land it has lost. But these hurdles are not too high for Moscow.
Russia is adept at overcoming obstacles the rest of the world points to as proof of its coming demise. Claims that Ukraine’s offensive spells an end to Russia’s militarism are unrealistically optimistic. Geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan said, “It’s only a matter of time before the Russians come up with backup plans or the Ukrainians hit those massive minefields that stopped their assaults a couple of years ago ….”
A Terrifying Warning
This world is in a new age of warfare. In a way, Ukraine’s fate is in Musk’s hands. This one man, who is not involved in the military and lives thousands of miles away from Russia and Ukraine, can drastically alter this battle with essentially the flick of a switch. Zeihan summarized how revolutionary this is by saying, “We now have … Elon Musk and … Starlink, X and the rest that have built this alternate constellation of power that doesn’t just control information but now can control military munitions.”
This situation is exposing facts about modern warfare that the rest of the world must be aware of. First, communication is incredibly important. Communication has always been essential, but the modern age of drone and technological warfare may exponentially compound this need.
Second, overreliance on technology can spell sudden catastrophe for even one of the most powerful militaries on Earth—and one that has seemingly every other advantage. If a military built on technology loses its foundation, every other advantage it has could quickly crumble into irrelevance.
America’s ‘Achilles’ Heel’
The United States is one such country that has built its military on technology. A 2008 U.S. government report identified America’s reliance on “information infrastructure … coupled with the technical vulnerability of that infrastructure” as the nation’s “Achilles’ heel.” More recently, a 2020 report from Time magazine used the same terminology to describe America’s dependence on space systems.
As long as America remains reliant on these systems, it risks suffering the same situation Russia faces. In fact, Bible prophecy says that is exactly what will happen.
The U.S. is descended from ancient Israel (this is thoroughly proved in our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy). This means many biblical prophecies about Israel apply directly to the U.S.
One such prophecy is found in Ezekiel 7, which warns of a coming destruction for “the land of Israel” (verse 2). When God gave this prophecy, Israel had already been in captivity for over a century. This means this warning is for America, one of the modern descendants of Israel.
Verse 14 says, “They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to battle ….” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has shown that this could refer to a cyberattack that knocks out America’s communication systems. When America is attacked, even though warnings are given and commands are issued, nobody receives them, and nobody is ready to fight because of it!
America’s enemies will catch many of its soldiers and civilians by surprise because of this cyberattack. In the case of nuclear war, a successful cyberattack could eliminate the factor of mutually assured destruction.
The current situation in Russia is showing how devastating it is when a military reliant on communication technology loses it. It can allow a significantly weaker force to bulldoze front lines, seemingly unabated!
Hosea 5, which gives another prophecy of Israel’s coming destruction (verse 5), says it will fall in just one month (verse 7). This may seem impossible, but Ukraine’s breakthrough in Russia, connected with Ezekiel 7:14, could shed light on how this prophecy will come to pass.
The result of cutting Russia off from Starlink is a terrifying warning to the U.S. God warns that debilitating cyberattacks are coming, and Ukraine’s push illustrates how devastating that can be for even a powerful nation.
In addition to this, Bible prophecy says the effects will be much worse on the U.S. than they are on Russia. America won’t recover from this attack. Consider the fact that Starlink isn’t Russian technology. Moscow’s military disaster came from losing access to a foreign system. Imagine how much worse it will be for America to lose access to its own domestic systems, satellites, etc.
Like it or not, this is the fate of the once mighty America—unless its people repent and turn to God. To learn more, read Mr. Flurry’s article “America’s Achilles’ Heel—and Germany.”