SpaceX Service Restored for Kyiv, Ending Drone Link Blackout
Ukraine reports satellite connectivity for its military is back to normal after a week of outages that hindered drone strikes.
By Leila Reynolds ·
Ukrainian officials say the military's satellite links are operational again following a week-long interruption that left drone crews unable to perform missions against Russian positions. The resumption of stable communications marks the end of a period in which operations were severely hampered. The outage affected the equipment needed to guide aerial vehicles, which are used extensively in the ongoing conflict.
Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the update on Saturday, stating that connections for both Starlink and Starshield systems are functioning reliably, even for units moving at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour (250 miles per hour). He attributed the resolution to discussions held with Washington and the diplomatic involvement of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine relies heavily on satellite services provided by SpaceX for both general communications and specific missions involving unmanned aircraft.
The source of the original restrictions remains a subject of uncertainty. US President Donald Trump has denied that he was responsible for the limitations while defending Elon Musk. Regardless of who initiated the pause, the episode increased tensions between Kyiv and Washington, which were already strained. This strain stems from Trump's recent decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel and permit US imports, alongside his earlier call this month for Ukraine to have a new president and his Monday suggestion that a different individual should handle negotiations for Kyiv. These exchanges follow a public confrontation between the pair at the White House in February 2025.
The return of connectivity arrives as the United States seeks to restart peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Delegations representing Ukraine, Russia, and the US are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November, marking the first such gathering in more than four years since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov verified the plan for talks on Friday, while Zelenskyy confirmed an agreement regarding meetings at the technical level. Trump also credited his wife, Melania Trump, with securing a local ceasefire in Oleshky, in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, which Russian forces have occupied since 2022.
Fighting has continued to rage in various areas despite these diplomatic moves. On Saturday, a Russian missile strike in Lozova, located in the northeastern Kharkiv region, resulted in the death of a man and injuries to two others, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. In Chernihiv, a Russian attack on Friday killed one person and wounded at least 25 people. Donetsk officials reported shelling in Kramatorsk killed one person and wounded six, including three children, while Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Lyakh stated that attacks on Friday killed a 62-year-old woman and injured four others.
Ukrainian forces also reported conducting strikes within Russian territory on Friday and through the night into Saturday. Targets included the Togliattikauchuk petrochemical plant in Togliatti, a major producer of synthetic rubber, where Mayor Ilya Sukhikh confirmed industrial damage but no casualties. Ukraine additionally reported hitting the Proton electronics plant in Oryol, which it says produces missile components. Regional Governor Andrei Klychkov confirmed three deaths in an attack on an unidentified facility, and authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea reported power outages following overnight Ukrainian attacks.
Russia's Defence Ministry announced that its air defences had intercepted a SCALP cruise missile, four Neptune missiles, and 1,297 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over a 24-hour period. These figures could not be independently verified.
