Ukraine’s military Starshield satellite connection has been restored, a Ukrainian Ministry of Defence source says, just days after the United States reportedly restricted the service. The news agency, quoting a source, reported that Kyiv is still seeking clarifications from Starshield’s parent company, SpaceX, as to why its service was disrupted between Tuesday and Wednesday. Ukraine relies on Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s internet service, Starlink, to provide intelligence amid its war with Russia.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has denied the company’s involvement and suggested only the US government could have disrupted it, despite President Donald Trump’s insistence that Washington is still sharing intelligence with Kyiv. Starshield is a sister service to Starlink, an array of 11,000 satellites placed by SpaceX into Earth’s low orbit to provide high-speed internet connectivity even in remote areas. Starshield, launched in 2022 and provided to the US government, is designed for military use as it allows for deeper encryption to process sensitive information.
SpaceX says it is primarily used by US defence agencies and other “government partners”. Ukraine’s military relies on Starshield, especially to guide its drones, on which it relies heavily to attack Russia. On Tuesday, Ukrainian defence officials said they had lost access to important satellite-based communications and that the disruptions had affected military missions.
This came in the wake of heavy Russian strikes, which hit the country with more than 100 drones and five ballistic missiles, for which Ukraine said it had received no prior warning. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. That meant any drones or missiles flying at more than 100mph lost their guidance connection.
Officials said the restrictions also reduced capabilities for front-line logistics, reconnaissance and relaying signals. On Wednesday, Musk denied any involvement in the incident, insisting that the service is “controlled by the US government”. Responding to a post on X by Ukraine’s former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who said the speed limits were being lifted and demanded unrestricted internet speed, Musk wrote, “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government.” “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” he said, referring to the US president.
Musk further clarified that Starlink is for “civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company” – an apparent attempt to differentiate it from Starshield, which Kyiv also deploys but is not allowed to use for offensive operations. Last year, Starlink cut off access for Russian troops who were covertly using the service on the battlefront in Ukraine. The SpaceX boss has shown an active interest in the Russia-Ukraine war since it began, but has not been particularly favourable towards Kyiv.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
