BMW & Skoda: After attacks in Ukraine – automotive industry again lacks wiring harnesses
Russian attacks hit facilities of a German supplier and disrupt the supply chain, BMW has to cancel shifts. Alternative locations also appear to be only conditionally safe.
Kyiv has again reported limitations in Starlink's Starshield, a military tool from Elon Musk's satellite network, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The issues arose once more along the entire frontline and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The connection slowdown was evident even a month ago, affecting vehicles moving at 161 km/h due to diminished capability of Ukrainian defense systems, particularly anti-radiation systems.
The restriction, initially lifted on October 24, is again imposed, presumably not due to technical malfunction, but because the connection is systematically limited at a certain speed. This poses significant challenges, especially in intercepting Russian drones, resulting in some overcoming Ukrainian air defense and causing fatalities.
The same concerns were voiced by Sergei Bezkrestnov, Zelensky's advisor on defense technology, concerning communication with helicopters tracking "Shahed" drones, as well as interceptors designed to shoot down "Shahed" drones equipped with rocket engines. Despite these ongoing issues, the US President Donald Trump could not confirm whether Starlink service had been throttled for Ukraine throughout October, expressing uncertainty even about its existence.
Meanwhile, Kyiv is urging for swift talks to extend its Starshield contract, which expires in mid-2027. The US Department of Defense and SpaceX, the parent company of Starshield, have not yet responded to inquiries for comment.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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