The system is used in particular to disrupt signals used to control unmanned systems whose range exceeds the limits of fiber-optic guidance. It is also used against communications, reconnaissance and coordination systems supporting artillery operations.
Starlink terminals installed on Ukrainian equipment operate by forming a narrow beam toward a satellite above them. The input article said detecting and jamming each individual channel is practically impossible, making it more effective to locate and interfere with the satellite itself.
Starlink satellites receive signals in the 14 to 14.5 GHz band. This band is divided into eight channels, each 62.5 MHz wide.
Volna Kupol Garant jams this transmission by directing strong signals at a passing satellite. The system uses eight antennas to prevent stable communications from being maintained.
A key feature of Starlink is that it consists of thousands of satellites operating at an altitude of about 500 kilometers. The input article said jamming all of them is very difficult or even impossible.
One Volna Kupol Garant system jams an area of about 20 square kilometers. This is roughly a circle with a radius of about 2.5 kilometers.
The system can therefore be used to protect specific facilities. These may include oil refineries, military bases or bridges, but the input article said this requires the use of many systems.
The approach is costly, with one Volna Kupol Garant system priced at about 100 million rubles, or around $1.5 million. Powering the system also requires significant resources, either from an external network or its own diesel generators.
The input article said these costs are not decisive when compared with the value of protected facilities. However, protection of the systems themselves is another challenge.
Because Volna Kupol Garant emits strong signals, it is easy to detect and can therefore be attacked. Its positions must be protected by special camouflage and air defense systems.
These protective measures are usually the same as those defending the facility near which the system is deployed. They may also be used as an additional layer of protection.
The system itself is installed on six trailers, each fitted with two antennas. Even if two trailers are destroyed, the remaining trailers can continue to operate effectively.
This structure also has a disadvantage during relocation. Moving the system requires time to switch off power, disconnect cables, stow antennas and then set up the complex again.
Volna Kupol Garant is being developed by Russky Kupol from Simferopol in Crimea. The input article said this refers to the company’s address, while its design and production facilities are located elsewhere.
According to the Ukrainian side, the first cases of the system jamming Starlink satellites were recorded in the Kharkiv region in 2024. The system was reportedly quickly detected and destroyed.
The input article said wider use of Volna Kupol Garant has begun only now. It linked this to the intensification of Ukrainian unmanned attacks against Russian infrastructure.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not officially commented on the information. The article did not include any personal quotes from Russian or Ukrainian officials.
