Kyiv seeks urgent renewal of US agreement on Starshield satellite network

The need for urgent contract renewal

The Ukrainian side is attempting to begin negotiations on concluding a new agreement with the United States government for access to the Starshield satellite network as soon as possible. This was stated by Denys Senyk, the Chargé d'Affaires of Ukraine in the US. According to him, the current contract expires in mid-next year.

Technical issues and their impact on the army

The relevance of reviewing access terms for satellite services increased following an incident last month, when Ukrainian military personnel recorded sudden restrictions on data transmission speeds. These failures negatively affected combat operations: they hindered the effective interception of Russian drones and led to the cancellation of certain operations.

The diplomat emphasised that neither Washington nor the company SpaceX provided explanations for the causes of such restrictions. Meanwhile, Elon Musk had previously stated that control over the Starshield network is exercised by the US government itself.

Context of difficulties in interaction with Washington

Problems with the functioning of satellite communication arose against the backdrop of other difficulties in relations between Ukraine and the US. In particular, the Kyiv side noted temporary interruptions in receiving intelligence information concerning Russian missile strikes.