Ukrainian frontline soldiers have lost access to Musk's Starlink
What's the story
Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have seen their access to Starlink satellite internet terminals abruptly restricted. The move comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Ukraine to stop long-range attacks on Russia's oil industry. The terminals, which are distributed and managed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, play a vital role in Ukraine's military operations.
Operational disruption
No warning issued to Ukraine
The sudden restriction on the high-speed terminals on Tuesday evening has disrupted several combat missions.
"Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions and this led to the failure of a number of missions," Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser on military technology to Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said.
He also noted that this action seems deliberate and is linked to the current political climate.
Connectivity loss
Outage during critical time
The Starlink terminals, which travel at over 161km/h and use a military version of the service, suddenly lost connectivity.
This happened as Russia fired ballistic missiles at Ukraine for the second consecutive night without any prior warning from the US.
The outage appears to be a targeted attempt to disrupt military operations on the ground.
Previous incidents
Musk had previously cut off service
Notably, Musk had previously cut off Starlink service to Ukrainian soldiers during an offensive that took a small amount of Russian territory.
The latest outage was first reported by Serhii Sternenko, a political activist with close ties to the military.
He suggested that SpaceX may have taken such measures at the request of the Trump administration, even as ordinary satellite communication terminals continue to function.
Policy pressure
Trump administration demands halt to attacks on Russian oil refineries
The Trump administration has also demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries, which he blames for high diesel prices.
However, most analysts believe that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has had a much bigger impact on global energy prices.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has hinted at possible US intelligence withholding regarding impending Russian missile strikes.
Strategic assault
Russia launches massive strike against Ukraine
Late on Tuesday, Russia launched a massive strike against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, firing 39 ballistic missiles and 120 attack drones at Kyiv and Kharkiv.
The strikes targeted several power plants and key substations supplying electricity to the capital from a major power plant.
"The strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale - Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States," Zelenskyy said.