Ukraine’s Vital Access to Military-Grade Starlink Services Is Coming Back After Sudden Disruption, Sources Say
Services partly restored
Ukraine’s access to military-grade Starlink services appeared to be at least partly restored on Thursday, following speed limits that Kyiv said had hampered some drone operations the previous day. Yehor Cherniev, deputy chairman of Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence, told Business Insider that Starshield was back at its pre-disruption capacity. Yuriy said several operations had been disrupted during the earlier restrictions.
Officials seek cause
Ukraine’s defense ministry is working to determine how and why the disruption affected Starshield, SpaceX’s satellite network for military services. The interruption caused confusion and raised questions about who made the decision.
Two satellite networks
Ukrainian forces rely on Starlink, SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet service, as well as Starshield, a secure network for military and government work that SpaceX built and the US government operates. Starlink’s expansion has given Musk and SpaceX substantial influence, Business Insider has reported. Musk said in 2023 that he declined a Ukrainian military request to activate Starlink for an assault on occupied Crimea. Earlier this year, SpaceX restricted Russian forces’ use of Starlink terminals in Ukraine, giving Ukraine a battlefield advantage.
Pressure and attacks continue
The disruption came as the United States increased pressure on Ukraine, with Trump urging Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian energy facilities. On Tuesday, Trump said Washington had not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, an issue of concern for the country.
Key points
- Starshield appeared to return to its pre-disruption capacity on Thursday, according to Yehor Cherniev.
- Several operations were disrupted during the earlier restrictions, Yuriy said.
- Ukraine’s defense ministry is investigating how and why Starshield was affected.
- The disruption occurred amid US pressure on Kyiv and intensifying Russian missile attacks.