Starshield service interrupted mid-flight

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that Starshield, SpaceX's military-grade satellite communications service, had been interrupted when terminals were moving at high speed, disrupting Ukrainian drones used for attack missions and air defence.

Ukraine missed Russian missile warnings

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Wednesday that for the second night in a row Ukraine had not received warning from its partners of a Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv.

US system provides early warnings

The US-operated Space-Based Infrared System provides early missile launch warnings to Ukraine, a capability now disrupted by the reported Starlink problems.

Musk says US government controls Starshield

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said Wednesday that any restrictions were the responsibility of the US government.

“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.”

Trump-Ukraine relations have soured

Relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine have soured after Trump announced a deal to lift sanctions on Russian diesel and called for Zelenskiy to be replaced.

Europe cannot offer immediate alternatives

European countries strongly supportive of Ukraine and Zelenskiy have been unable to offer immediate alternatives, highlighting the continent's reliance on American technology.

OneWeb network not ready to replace Starlink

European operator Eutelsat's OneWeb network offers satellite connectivity but is not well suited to replace Starlink immediately in wartime. Switching would require replacing or adapting thousands of terminals as the two systems are not interconnected.

Kubilius acknowledges Europe's space dependence

European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius acknowledged at a conference in Brussels on Wednesday that Europe is quite dependent on American space capabilities.

“Europe is quite dependent on American space capabilities.”

EU plans IRIS2 satellite constellation

Kubilius called for Europe to develop its own systems, pointing to the European Union's planned IRIS2 satellite constellation. However, that project remains years from becoming operational.

Germany developing military satellite network

Germany is also developing a military satellite constellation. Kubilius urged European countries to work together to reduce dependence on American space capabilities.