Starshield outage disrupts Ukraine's drone operations and raises control concerns

Sudden restrictions on Starshield, SpaceX's military-grade satellite service crucial to Ukraine's drone operations, alarmed Kyiv's military this week, causing lost drones and disrupted missions before connectivity returned Thursday. The episode raised questions about control of the system, which the U.S. government owns. Starshield, built on Starlink technology, provides secure, high-speed communications tailored for military use, unlike the civilian Starlink service. Ukrainian commanders said the one-day slowdown affected drone missions and video feeds, with some aircraft lost when operators lost contact. The Pentagon has not commented on the cause. The incident highlighted Ukraine's reliance on the service and tensions with Washington, already strained by President Donald Trump's reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports. Ukrainian units are preparing backup communications, though they are more expensive and less effective.