Together, the three civilians—Kutkov, Stepanets, and Kovalskyy—effectively lead Narodnyi Starlink. “The Russian FSB and other [security] services still understand the importance of participation in initiatives like [Narodnyi Starlink],” Stepanets says. Operating outside official structures has allowed Narodnyi Starlink to function much more efficiently than state channels. (The military declined to comment on this issue, or on any military connections with Narodnyi Starlink.) Most of the Narodnyi Starlink members I spoke to, including active-duty soldiers, were unconcerned about the report that Musk might withdraw access to the service in Ukraine.