{
  "id": 18868870,
  "title": "Ukraine’s new frontier: how space has become critical to balance of the war",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/ukraines-new-frontier-how-space-has-become-critical-to-balance-of-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T05:00:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Science",
    "slug": "guardian-science",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/nov/08/ukraine-space-critical-war-starlink"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a war increasingly dominated by drones and battlefield sensors, access to space has become a crucial factor in the balance of power. Ukrainian forces, facing Starlink speed restrictions and Russian Oreshnik missile strikes, are racing to bolster their own space capabilities. On August 15, explosions in Samara, a Russian industrial city on the Volga, revealed the destruction of the Progress Rocket and Space Centre, which manufactures Russia's Soyuz-2 rockets. This incident marked a shift in the conflict, demonstrating the widespread impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure, including those extending into the realm of space.\n\nThe Samara attack highlighted the growing significance of space and the satellites that power military operations. As the conflict redefines warfare through the heavy reliance on drones and battlefield sensors, securing access to space and the ability to disrupt enemy capabilities in this domain has become critical. Ukraine has targeted other Russian space facilities, such as Korolyov near Moscow and a Ukrainian-built radio telescope captured in Crimea, while Russia has retaliated with Oreshnik ballistic missile strikes, a system designed to deploy multiple warheads into near space.\n\nIn response to these threats, Ukraine is intensifying its efforts to diversify its access to space-based systems, reducing reliance on the US and Starlink, which was recently affected by data speed restrictions. Kyiv has conducted tests of near-space interceptions and is partnering with Denmark's GomSpace to launch its first independent Ukrainian communications satellite, Obria Nano. This move follows Russia's deployment of its Rassvet satellite network as a replacement for Starlink, which the US has recently limited.\n\nExperts note that space warfare has progressed faster than existing treaties can address, highlighting the need for updated governance frameworks. Russia views space as essential to military success, using it as a precursor to broader conflict. Tactics against foreign satellites include jamming signals, laser-dazzling, and deploying spy satellites to monitor and harass adversaries. As the militarization of space continues, the reliance on commercial ventures for satellite launches, like SpaceX, is becoming more vulnerable to political influence, as seen in Starlink's data speed restrictions imposed on Ukraine. This strategic competition underscores the evolving nature of space as a critical battleground, where traditional treaties struggle to keep pace with the rapid advancements and conflicts.",
  "summary": "In a war driven by drones and battlefield sensors, access to space is essential. After Starlink speed restrictions and Russian Oreshnik missile strikes, Kyiv is racing to develop its own space capabilities For people in the Russian industrial city of Samara on the banks of the Volga, the first they knew of the Ukrainian attack were detonations that sent a column of smoke into the air. If the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}