Ukraine scrambles for comms backup as Starlink outages grow

Tens of thousands of Starlink terminals have been shipped to Ukraine over the years, and the service has been a workhorse for the nation's defense since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The satellite links have carried vital data for both civilians and troops, and they have become a cornerstone of Ukraine's drone operations, allowing operators to steer aircraft remotely for air defense and for strikes against Russian positions. Now, however, the service has become increasingly spotty, and that has raised urgent questions across Kyiv and Europe about how to keep fighting without it.

The disruption stems from shifts in how Elon Musk controls the network. Starlink, the largest satellite communications system on the planet, can beam high-speed internet to any user or vehicle fitted with a compact terminal. But service in Ukraine has grown unreliable because of Musk's political inclinations, and recent surprise outages have compounded the problem. The US government and European nations including Poland and Germany have covered the cost of tens of thousands of commercial Starlink terminals for Ukraine, as well as the subscription fees that keep them running.

The US military has also given Ukraine's armed forces access to Starshield, a military-grade version of the network. Ukrainian defense companies can test Starshield in their technologies in cooperation with the military, according to a representative at BlueBird Tech, a Ukrainian defense firm. The head of hardware R&D at BlueBird Tech, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the service remains hard to beat. "Starlink currently offers some of the best satellite coverage available, with virtually no competitors when you consider the combination of cost, availability, and ease of use," the person said. "In practical terms, the main limitation is the need to position the antenna so it can receive signals from the satellites."

Musk's role in deciding who gets access to what has put his political views at the center of the matter, and the latest outages have pushed Ukraine and Europe to weigh their options for maintaining communications. Ukraine's military depends on satellite links to guide drones used both for air defense against incoming Russian attacks and for strikes on Russian targets, and any gap in that capability would have consequences for operations on the ground. The question now facing Kyiv and its allies is how to proceed without leaning on a service whose availability is shaped by decisions made outside their control.

No timeline has been set for restoring steady service, and no alternative has been announced to replace what Starlink provides. Ukraine's defense firms continue to work with their militaries on the technologies they rely on, and the question of how to keep communications running if Starlink stays unreliable remains open. For now, the network that has carried Ukraine's fight for years is still in place, though its future is in doubt.