Ukraine has reported disruptions to drones relying on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet network, as well as the United States-operated early warning system supposed to alert it to Russian missile attacks. The problems expose Europe’s dependence on US technology, with no homegrown alternatives immediately available.
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Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade satellite communications service, had been interrupted when terminals were moving at high speed, which disrupted Ukrainian drones being used for attack missions and air defence.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also 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. The Space-Based Infrared System, a satellite constellation operated by the US military, provides early missile launch warnings.
The reasons for the difficulties were not immediately clear.
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said Wednesday that any restrictions were Washington’s responsibility. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military” and ultimately the president, Musk said.
Relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine have soured after Trump announced a deal to lift sanctions on Russian diesel and called for Zelensky to be replaced.
EU cautious over Trump’s ‘energy ceasefire’ as Russia continues Ukraine attacks
European capacity limited
Ukraine’s European allies have been unable to offer immediate alternatives, highlighting the reliance on US systems for both low-orbit satellite communications – provided by SpaceX via Starlink – and space-based infrared sensing that feeds into early-warning systems..
European operator Eutelsat’s OneWeb network offers satellite connectivity, but industry analysts say capacity and performance constraints make it unsuitable for frontline use. Switching networks would also mean swapping out thousands of Starlink terminals, as the two systems are not interconnected.
European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius acknowledged the broader problem at a conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
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Europe is “quite dependent on American space capabilities”, he said, calling for the continent to develop its own systems.
He pointed to the European Union’s IRIS² satellite constellation, a planned network of nearly 300 satellites that aims to rival Starlink and other US satellite internet service providers such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
However, that project remains at least four years from becoming fully operational.
Germany is also developing a military satellite constellation, and Kubilius urged European countries to work together.
(with Reuters)
