Starlink Usage Problems Persist in Ukraine

According to officials monitoring the systems' operation, cases of terminals losing connection when moving at speeds of about 161 kilometers per hour are still being recorded.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, known by the call sign "Flash," also confirmed that the restrictions remain in place. According to him, there are no signs yet that they have been lifted. Isolated cases of Starlink operating at speeds slightly above the established threshold may be explained by SpaceX algorithms or specific operating conditions, rather than by a lifting of restrictions.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that on October 21, Trump called Musk asking him to lift restrictions on Starshield — the military version of the Starlink satellite communication system developed by SpaceX. After this conversation, American and Ukrainian officials reported an improvement in communication quality, but some warned that full functionality had not been restored.

Later, Trump stated that Musk had lifted the speed restrictions, but did not confirm if he had spoken personally with the head of SpaceX.

The outages began without warning on October 14. Starshield terminals used by the Ukrainian military began to lose connection when reaching speeds of approximately 160 kilometers per hour. This disrupted military operations, including the use of medium-range attack drones and interceptor drones designed to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian aerial attacks.

More than a week after the outages began, responsibility for imposing the restrictions remains a subject of public dispute. According to information from The Wall Street Journal, the decision was made at Musk's direction. Other sources suggested that the White House might have been involved. Trump denies giving such an order. Neither SpaceX nor the US administration has publicly taken responsibility for the restrictions.

This situation demonstrated how heavily Ukraine relies on Starlink, which is a vital element for battlefield communication, drone control, and air defense. It also exposed the risks of dependency on a satellite network controlled by a foreign company.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is striving to develop its own satellite communication capabilities to reduce its future reliance on SpaceX.

On Thursday, October 22, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine signed a letter of intent with Finnish technology companies ICEYE and Nokia to cooperate in the development of a sovereign satellite communication system.

Zelenskyy announced the agreement during Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's visit to Kyiv. The Ukrainian president called it important for the country's defense and resilience.

It is expected that such systems will allow participating countries to own and independently control satellites, ground infrastructure, and terminals. This should reduce vulnerability to decisions made by foreign governments and private operators.

ICEYE CEO Rafal Modrzewski stated that Ukraine needs secure, sovereign, and high-performance satellite communication systems that it can control independently. Mika Hautala, head of Nokia Defense, also emphasized that the partnership will give Ukraine control over the communication it depends on.

While the agreement is in its initial stages, Ukraine continues to use Starlink to provide critical communication on the front line.

• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0