Kyiv, Ukraine — In a staggering revelation that has left Ukrainian forces fuming and allies uneasy, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is once again at the center of a geopolitical storm. A widespread Starlink outage disrupted critical Ukrainian battlefield communications this week, compounding suspicions that the billionaire’s private company is wielding disproportionate influence over the fate of a sovereign nation’s war effort. Simultaneously, a separate investigation reveals Musk directly ordered Starlink access cut in past Ukrainian military operations—allegedly to prevent territorial gains against Russia.
The outage, which lasted approximately 2.5 hours from late Wednesday into Thursday, brought Ukrainian drone operations and encrypted battlefield coordination to a grinding halt. Ukrainian military units across the front lines reported losing live drone video feeds, essential communication links, and reconnaissance capabilities. Robert Brovdi, a drone unit commander, described the outage as “a complete loss of video transmission and control across the entire front.” While SpaceX attributed the failure to an internal software issue, this latest disruption has sparked fresh alarm over Kyiv’s dependency on a privately owned U.S. satellite network for frontline warfare.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation confirmed the disruption, underscoring its severity. “A global Starlink outage has affected Ukraine’s military communications system,” the ministry said in a statement. While service has since resumed, officials in Kyiv have renewed calls for Starlink alternatives to reduce vulnerability in a war increasingly shaped by real-time digital warfare.
Compounding these anxieties is a separate Reuters investigation published the same day, which exposes how Musk allegedly intervened to limit Starlink’s operational footprint during key Ukrainian offensives. According to internal emails and firsthand accounts, Musk instructed SpaceX engineers to shut off Starlink coverage in key areas of occupied Ukraine during a 2023 operation to retake territory from Russia. The move reportedly blocked Ukrainian drones from targeting retreating Russian forces. Musk justified his decision by claiming he wanted to avoid escalating the war or triggering a “mini–Pearl Harbor,” as he put it—fearing Starlink would be used “to launch offensive operations.”
The implications are profound. Ukraine, a country fighting for survival, now finds itself constrained by the moral and political calculus of a private American entrepreneur. As drone warfare becomes central to modern conflict, Musk’s interventions raise questions about the ethical boundaries of corporate power in warzones.
According to Reuters, this isn’t the first time Musk’s decisions have hindered Ukrainian battlefield operations. In past episodes, SpaceX has refused requests to extend Starlink access to Crimea and other occupied zones, citing concerns about escalating hostilities. But critics argue these refusals have inadvertently benefited Russia, giving its forces more operational freedom in areas with blackout zones.
Ukraine’s government has begun looking into satellite alternatives, including potential partnerships with European and Israeli firms, but establishing robust redundancy will take time. Until then, Ukraine’s fate on the battlefield remains partially tethered to the whims of a single CEO with outsize influence and controversial views on diplomacy.
According to Reuters, the details of the outage were published on July 25, 2025. The report outlines how a critical software failure within Starlink’s internal network infrastructure led to a global blackout, temporarily cutting off Ukraine’s military communication systems and drone operations across the front lines. SpaceX later acknowledged the issue and pledged to implement long-term solutions.
In a separate exposé by Reuters published the same day, it was revealed that Elon Musk had personally ordered Starlink service to be disabled in specific regions of occupied Ukraine during a 2023 military counteroffensive. The report alleges that Musk’s directive deliberately blocked Ukrainian drone strikes as forces moved to retake Russian-held territory, raising serious concerns about the role of private actors in shaping the course of international conflicts.
