Ukrainian Military prepares for possible Starlink shutdown, seeks diversified solutions
The Ukrainian military has already faced connectivity issues with Starlink, particularly during naval drone operations targeting sites in Crimea, when the service inconveniently turned off mid-mission.
In light of this, Ukrainian Defense Forces are preparing for the possibility that Elon Musk may disable Starlink in Ukraine. Military expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi, from Defence Express, explained that the forces have experience maneuvering around such dilemmas, having faced similar disruptions before.
According to Kyrychevskyi, a Starlink shutdown would be painful, but not disastrous. "Losing access to Starlink is concerning, but not fatal. We've noticed complications with Starlink since the fall of 2022. It’s almost a twisted 'thank you' to Musk because the initial setbacks of our naval drones were due to Starlink being turned off at critical moments. As a result, efforts have been made to diversify," he elaborated.
Due to these connectivity issues, Ukrainians have looked for alternatives—turning to Germany for satellite terminals and receiving support from Sweden, alongside armored vehicles.
"In the past two years, we've had ample time to diversify away from Starlink and these measures have been implemented. If Starlink is shut off, it will be painful and inconvenient, but not catastrophic, and it won't get Musk anywhere," Kyrychevskyi commented.