Starshield outage halted Ukraine operations, military commander says

News Context

At a glance

Live video feeds cut out as drones approached Russian targets, plunging the aircraft mid-flight and costing Ukraine over one million dollars in military hardware.
That sudden internet disruption forced Kyiv to suspend military operations for three days.
The Starshield outage deepened existing political strains between Ukrainian leadership and the United States administration.

Original source: malayalam.indianexpress.com

Live video feeds cut out as drones approached Russian targets, plunging the aircraft mid-flight and costing Ukraine over one million dollars in military hardware. The blackout stemmed from an abrupt outage of the Pentagon-funded Starshield service, a senior Ukrainian military commander told The New York Times.

That sudden internet disruption forced Kyiv to suspend military operations for three days. The halt temporarily halted attacks on Russian command posts and fuel depots designed to shield front-line troops.

Political Friction and Satellite Restrictions

The Starshield outage deepened existing political strains between Ukrainian leadership and the United States administration. Ukrainian officials accused Washington of intentionally restricting satellite access to pressure Kyiv into peace talks and retaliate against strikes on Russian oil refineries.

The White House flatly denied making any changes to satellite internet services.

Digital Blackouts Across Russian Tech Infrastructure

Ukrainian drones carried out strikes targeting Russian tech infrastructure. The attacks hit three of Yandex’s five major data centers, along with facilities operated by Sberbank and VK.

Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated… https://t.co/ZXBB8bYfPn

— https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2114063986744275011

Daily digital services for millions of citizens ground to a halt. The outages paralyzed Yandex Pay, online banking, food delivery, and taxi bookings—leaving Moscow taxi drivers unable to process fares and locking residents out of smart-home systems and digital door locks. Digital keys of residents were taken offline, preventing many people from entering their own homes. Yandex, known as the Google of Russia, offers search and various internet-based services. The disruption of Yandex Pay left millions unable to use their savings or withdraw cash to cover expenses. Moscow taxi drivers were unable to view or withdraw their earnings through the Yandex taxi application, and the app glitch led to multiple taxis being dispatched to the same customer. Furthermore, users were unable to open files stored on the company’s cloud storage services, and digital door locks ceased to function. Yandex stated that no employees were injured in the attack and that services were being restored in phases.

Saint Petersburg Energy and Airport Disruption

Concurrent drone strikes in Saint Petersburg struck energy and financial infrastructure, damaging an oil storage terminal and an Ozon e-commerce warehouse. Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov stated that the attacks damaged 12 apartment buildings and two houses, cut power supplies, and temporarily suspended operations at Pulkovo Airport for over seven hours.

Starshield outage halted Ukraine operations, military commander says — Photo: Mathrubhumi

Across the country, the Russian Defense Ministry reported shooting down 1,015 Ukrainian drones.

Zelenskyy Defends Digital Targeting Strategy

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the digital infrastructure disruptions by maintaining that Yandex is a resilient company actively working to restore affected services.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the targeted data center operations as retaliation for prior Russian attacks aimed at destroying Ukraine’s internet infrastructure. He noted that US pressure against striking Russian energy facilities had prompted Kyiv to pivot toward digital targets instead.

Unresolved Operational Standoff

Military friction persists as Ukrainian forces continue cross-border operations while managing severe restrictions on satellite communications. Neither Washington nor Kyiv has announced further adjustments to the Starshield network following the three-day operational pause.