Few technological systems have played such an important role in the war in Ukraine as Starlink , central to the communications, reconnaissance and drone operations of the Ukrainian armed forces. There are currently widespread concerns that Elon Musk 's satellite internet service in Ukraine may be restricted or even switched off. In recent days, Kyiv has repeatedly reported disruptions and restrictions affecting its use.

How Starlink enables communications

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has made extensive use of the satellite internet service, which is operated by the US company SpaceX. With it, military personell can continue to communicate and exchange data, even when infrastructure has been destroyed or cellphone networks are down.

According to the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich, around 50,000 Starlink terminals were in use in Ukraine in 2025.…