Fears that Ukraine will lose Starlink are back after Musk backed Trump against Zelenskyy. Adviser says profit makes cutoff unlikely
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov says Musk is first of all a businessman, and Ukraine brings SpaceX significant profit, so he is sure no one will switch it off.
Ukraine's presidential adviser on defense technology, Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, has reassured that SpaceX will not cut off Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communications. This is mainly because the company could lose a substantial portion of its revenue. Ukraine's troops and drones rely heavily on Starlink, which Kyiv does not own or control.
The recent rumors of a potential cutoff intensified after Elon Musk backed US President Donald Trump's criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Flash emphasizes that SpaceX is primarily a business and that Ukraine is a significant and stable profit source for the company, making a cutoff highly unlikely. While unexpected moves are possible, Musk is unlikely to switch Starlink off for Russia within Ukraine's territory.
The fears of a cutoff are compounded by the US pressure on Ukraine. Following Trump's decision to allow Russian diesel back into US markets, there have been rumors of sanctions against Ukraine if it continues targeting Russian refineries, which fund Moscow. Additionally, reports suggest that Washington has threatened to halt the mechanism for purchasing US weapons for Ukraine, known as PURL, and to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
Ukraine is actively working on developing a backup communication system, aiming to reduce its dependence on Starlink. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned this on October 4th, stating that Ukraine is constructing its own satellite system, similar to Starlink but independent of Elon Musk's control. This effort is prompted by the fact that some states plan to share technology with Russia later this year or early next, including China, which already operates a Starlink-like constellation called Rassvet.
Meanwhile, Russia is developing jet drones that can fly at speeds of 800 kilometers per hour, and Ukraine is also working on countermeasures. Despite the recent energy ceasefire declared by Trump, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukraine's power grid, including a recent strike on Kharkiv power plant among over 200 strikes this week, according to Zelenskyy.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
