Ukraine has regained full access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network following a disruption that hampered military operations, according to UK defence secretary Wes Streeting. The restoration comes after a directive from inside the White House temporarily restricted the service, creating a new diplomatic rift between Washington and Kyiv.
Streeting stated that his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, assured him during a face-to-face meeting that the vital communications system was back up and running. While the exact cause of the initial disruption remains unclear, Streeting noted that friction between the two allies is not unprecedented.
“This is not the first time we’ve seen a falling out between Washington and Kyiv,” Streeting said. He confirmed that Hegseth, the US defence secretary, personally verified the resumption of services.
White House Order Limits Satellite Service
Reuters reported that the order to limit Starlink access originated within the White House. Two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter stated that leaders at the US defence department received a message indicating that service for the Ukrainian military needed to be slowed.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not identify who in the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing the order. The Pentagon is the largest customer of Starshield, the military-grade version of the Starlink service.
The disruption had immediate tactical consequences. Ukraine reported that the limitation affected its ability to conduct attack and air-defence drone missions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the timing of the aerial barrage, noting that Russian attacks intensified precisely when defensive capabilities were being artificially restricted.
Zelenskyy Rallies European Support
Amid growing doubts about long-term US commitment to Ukraine, President Zelenskyy traveled to Brussels to meet with European leaders. He held bilateral meetings with several heads of state before joining an EU summit on Friday.
French president Emmanuel Macron met with Zelenskyy on Thursday and emphasized the need for Kyiv to have “all the means necessary to protect itself.” Polish prime minister Donald Tusk posted a message of solidarity online, stating, “YOU ARE NOT ALONE,” in reference to the Ukrainian president and his people.
Zelenskyy also met with Nato chief Mark Rutte in Brussels. The diplomatic push comes as Ukraine faces continued pressure from Russian forces and internal challenges regarding its defense infrastructure.
Russian Strikes and Energy Ceasefire
On the battlefield, Russia launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine between midnight and Thursday morning. The barrage hit 15 Ukrainian regions, according to Zelenskyy. Emergency services in the Kirovohrad region reported that a drone attack lasting more than 10 hours killed three people and injured six others.
Vladimir Putin dismissed the impact of recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. He told Interfax that the damage was not significant and vowed a response. His comments followed a major Ukrainian drone attack that ignited a fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region on Thursday morning, as confirmed by the regional governor.
This attack marked the first confirmed Ukrainian strike on a Russian energy facility since US president Donald Trump declared an “energy ceasefire.” Neither Russia nor Ukraine had agreed to such a truce.
Meanwhile, the US treasury department extended a sanctions waiver on Russian oil company Lukoil. The waiver allows Lukoil-branded service stations in countries like the US to continue operating through April 2027. The extension follows Trump’s claim that he secured an agreement with Russia to supply diesel to American and global markets. The new license, like previous ones, prohibits the transfer of funds to any person or account located in the Russian Federation.
Source: The Guardian
