Russia recently announced the launch of its new Barrage-1 stratospheric communications platform. Halfway between the drone and the balloon, these devices are supposed to partly remedy the blocking of access to Starlink for the Russian army in Ukraine.

Published on: 02/17/2026 - 6:51 p.m.

Is this “Dam” a mirage? Russian media posted a video on Sunday February 15 of the successful launch of the new stratospheric platform Barrage-1, presented as the start of an alternative to Starlink.

Halfway between the weather balloon and the drone, this new machine deployed by Russia was designed to transport 5G equipment and must serve as a flying Internet relay for units on the Ukrainian front, indicated the Russian company Aerodrommash, at the origin of this project.

Starlink disrupts Russian “hackers”

The temporality of this announcement owes nothing to chance. Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite Internet company, decided in early February to deactivate all the "pirate" terminals that the Russian army used to connect to the Internet.

“These illegal imports of terminals into Russia were very well organized and, since the second half of 2024, Starlink had become a sort of standard communications system for the Russian military,” underlines Huseyn Aliyev, specialist in the war in Ukraine at the University of Glasgow.

The end of Russian access to the Starlink satellite network would have plunged Russian troops into chaos according to several media, contributing to recent Ukrainian military successes in the Zaporizhia region which allowed kyiv to retake more than 200 square kilometers of land from the Russians in a few days.

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Be careful not to overestimate the military impact of the end of Starlink for the Russians on the front. “For the moment, these are mainly tactical and opportunistic counterattacks by Ukraine rather than a major counterattack,” emphasizes Erik Stijnman, a specialist in military security issues in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war at the Dutch institute of international relations Clingendael.

“The various Ukrainian offensives launched in this region began several weeks ago, so even before Starlink was deactivated for the Russian army,” adds Huseyn Aliyev. At best, Elon Musk's decision therefore made the task of the Ukrainian fighters easier. Which already represents valuable help for kyiv.

The Russians were not limited to using Starlink for the front. “Starting last November, the Russians began attaching Starlink terminals to their long-range drones, turning them into devastating weapons,” assures Huseyn Aliyev.

Remote-controlled by satellite, these drones could fly much further and were much more difficult to jam than those operated remotely by radio waves. “The connections were also reliable and robust, which allowed much more precise targeting,” notes Erik Stijnman.

A drone balloon rather than 10,000 satellites?

The Russians were thus able to bomb the supply lines very deeply, “which almost completely paralyzed the entire logistics of the Ukrainian defenses,” explains Huseyn Aliyev.

Hence the importance for Russians of reestablishing an Internet connection because, from now on, “communications rely on radio waves and on 4G or 5G infrastructures present in urban areas,” summarizes this expert. Not enough to continue to turn all Ukrainian logistics upside down.

The Barrage-1 balloon drone is supposed to provide the beginnings of a solution. “To see,” says, doubtfully, Gustav Gressel, analyst of military issues for the Austrian National Defense Academy.

Read alsoKiev thanks Musk for the “measures” taken to prevent Russian drones from using Starlink

The Barrage-1 “is a bit like a zeppelin equipped with a solar-powered engine, capable of transporting equipment weighing up to 100 kilograms, according to the Russian authorities,” summarizes this specialist. Its main advantage lies “in its ability to fly high,” he explains.

This balloon-drone-zeppelin is supposed to be able to rise up to 20 kilometers above the ground, which should protect it since “Ukraine does not have a missile that can hit machines operating in the stratosphere,” assures Huseyn Aliyev.

However, it is not very discreet. It is easier to detect by radar than a Starlink satellite in space, assure the experts interviewed. “If it transmits 5G to the ground, there will be electromagnetic signals which will make it possible to locate and track it,” estimates Erik Stijnman.

No need to try to lower the Barrage-1 platform to limit its effectiveness. “The 5G signal can be intercepted during its descent. And it is a network that can be jammed,” notes the expert from the Clingendael Institute.

Starlink irreplaceable?

The new Russian machine is not big enough to replace the armada of nearly 10,000 satellites put into orbit by Elon Musk. The Russian authorities have not given any details on the Internet coverage that a single one of these balloons will provide, “but 5G is not a network that carries very far, and you need a fairly dense network of relays to ensure a stable connection” over a large area, underlines Erik Stijnman.

The announcement of the launch of Barrage-1 may only be a communications operation to ensure that Moscow does not remain without reacting to the halt decided by Starlink. But it can also be a piece of the new Russian puzzle of staying connected. “Moscow has some avenues to replace Starlink, but none will be as effective as this satellite network. They can use a network of relay drones [of which Barrage-1 could be a part, Editor's note], or even install terrestrial relays connected by fiber optic cables,” lists Gustav Gressel. But all this takes time to set up.

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