China, Russia Take Aim at Starlink’s Destruction in Leaked Military Presentation

China and Russia have jointly hatched plans to destroy the US’s Starlink satellite communication systems, leaked slides from a secret military forum show.

The slides are published as part of a joint investigation by Russian investigative media outlet The Insider, German outlet Der Spiegel, and French outlet Le Monde.

The slideshow is one of four presented at the Third China-Russia Military-Technical Cooperation Forum in Guangzhou, The Insider said. It added that the event has been held annually in secrecy, with a sixth scheduled for December 2026 in Russia’s St. Petersburg.

The other presentations concern joint military development projects and proposals that range from armored vehicle upgrades to joint military aviation projects. The outlet did not specify from where it obtained the slideshows.

It added that it is likely of Chinese origin, considering the problematic Russian translations, a fact confirmed by Chinese speakers at Kyiv Post.

What do the slides say?

The Starlink slideshow is signed off by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), with two representatives listed as presenters: Huang Hui and Ren Jie.

The top-right corner has the word “internal” written in Chinese, which The Insider said is classified as “one level above material cleared for public release.”

The first part of the presentation covers a general overview of Starlink, namely its civilian and military uses, its scale and number of satellites in orbit, and the technical performance of the devices as of November 2023.

Other Topics of Interest

Russia Intensifies Energy War, Launching More Than 20 Drones at Single Power Target

Ukraine has lost half its power generation capacity as Russian drone strikes grow larger and more coordinated, Ukrenergo says.

Part two covers the military usage of Starlink devices, namely their usage in “Russia’s Special Military Operation” – from Moscow’s official glossary for its Ukraine invasion. This part noted Starlink’s decentralized nature, the possibility of a “space blockade” due to its overwhelming number in low orbit, and its ability to provide “real-time” intelligence and act as a potential backup if GPS systems are destroyed.

“Means for countering”

The third part covers “means for countering,” with one slide outlining various ways to physically disable the device and a subsequent slide advocating a “security alliance” between Beijing and Moscow to counter Starlink developments.

The physical means are divided into three categories: physical, electromagnetic, and cyber.

The physical means would involve the destruction of Starlink’s low-orbit satellites, with an emphasis on cost-effectiveness, presumably using a single munition against multiple satellites.

The Insider said NATO has been tracking similar proposals from adversaries, including one that uses small pellets in the constellation to destroy the solar panels of all satellites within range.

The electromagnetic means would include signal jamming, while the cyber means include plans to upload viruses from the end terminals to paralyze the network.

A recent academic study led by Professor Todd E. Humphreys has identified a Russian satellite responsible for jamming incidents across Europe, though the motives remain unclear.

Diplomatic pressure to “delay” Starlink deployments

The “security alliance” slide also called for a layered approach that leverages Beijing and Moscow’s diplomatic influence using various arguments.

The first layer cites the alleged collision risks of Starlink satellites, using regulatory pressure “to call for accelerated space legislation and slow down the development of the ‘Starlink’ system.”

The second layer consists of arguments against frequency occupation by pushing for international regulations against SpaceX – the US firm that operates Starlink.

“SpaceX has secured a vast amount of these resources; China and Russia could jointly address issues arising from ‘Starlink’ – such as the occupation of frequency and orbital slots – and drive the establishment of international governance rules,” it says.

The last layer calls for a “technological alliance,” which the presenter argued could help “reshape a new strategic balance with the United States” by working on “intelligence sharing and joint breakthroughs in key technologies.”

Beijing’s role comes under question

Beijing has officially portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia’s war against Ukraine, but a string of recent reports suggests the country stands to benefit from the war and casts doubt on its official stance.

The presentations shown in the investigation – some of which also called for joint development of air defense systems and technology exchanges for material supplies – point to clandestine military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow that extended beyond joint war drills but stopped short of direct military support, such as North Korea’s troop deployments.

It also went beyond the military internships and training reported earlier by Reuters and confirmed to Kyiv Post by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR).

The latest findings also lend credence to rumored reports in July 2025 that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, behind closed doors that Beijing cannot abide a Russian defeat in Ukraine.

But according to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, Beijing has also urged restraint in Moscow’s nuclear rhetoric, which hinted at Beijing’s approach of controlled escalations. 

Starlink’s major role in Ukraine war

Starlink has been a backbone for the Ukrainian military’s communications and operations when traditional communications via cell towers and land lines are knocked offline by the widespread destruction of the war.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk provided a number of Starlink terminals at the onset of Russia’s 2022 invasion. While initially supportive of Kyiv, Musk later amplified pro-Russian narratives and, in one instance, personally disrupted a Ukrainian strike on occupied Crimea using Starlinks by arguing that the company cannot be complicit in wars.

Russia has also gained access to Starlink via third countries despite the sanctions, though this trend was halted in February 2026 when Kyiv, alongside SpaceX, introduced a verification system that allows only verified terminals to operate within Ukraine.

The change led to a communication breakdown in the Russian military, with US intelligence attributing Kyiv’s battlefield advances at the time to the Starlink verification and blockage in Russia.

Russia has attempted to create domestic Starlink analogs known as Rassvet, though the program has launched only a limited number of satellites, with one already lost in space.