Starshield access limited for Ukraine after disruption, then restored

Military connection restored

Ukraine uses Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade version of Starlink, for intelligence and communications in its war with Russia. Launched in 2022 and provided to the US government, the service is designed for military use and offers deeper encryption for sensitive information.

A Ukrainian Ministry of Defence source said the military connection had been restored. That followed reports that the United States had restricted access.

Disruption affected operations

On Tuesday, Ukrainian defence officials said the country had lost access to important satellite communications, affecting military missions. Officials said the restrictions also weakened front-line logistics, reconnaissance and signal relays.

Ukraine said Russia had attacked with more than 100 drones and five ballistic missiles, and that it received no prior warning. The article says drones or missiles travelling faster than 100mph lost their guidance connection.

Musk and Zelenskyy respond

Musk denied involvement in the disruption on Wednesday, saying Starshield is controlled by the US government. He said the US military and, ultimately, the US president decide any limits on speed or usage.

Zelenskyy said the outage was not a technical problem, but a matter of will. He also wrote that advance intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and said partners had not warned Ukraine about the strike.

Strained ties with Washington

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have grown tense since Trump took office, amid disagreements over weapons transfers and the US’s increasing closeness to Russia. Musk has also clashed with Zelenskyy; in 2022, he proposed a peace plan involving Crimea and Ukraine’s NATO ambitions.