On Thursday, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service faced a global outage that disrupted critical communications for Ukrainian troops. The outage, which began at around 3:13pm ET, affected more than 40,000 terminals used by Ukraine for battlefield coordination and infrastructure management. While the outage lasted for over two and a half hours, Musk apologized on his platform X, vowing to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
According to Doug Madory, an internet analyst at Kentik, the network experienced a sudden disruption, which raised concerns about the reliability of one of the most important communication tools for Ukraine. The outage has been a point of significant concern for military officials, as the affected terminals provide critical connectivity for the battlefield. Musk’s Starlink service has remained one of the most important elements of Ukraine’s communication infrastructure, which has been under pressure during the ongoing war.
Ukrainian commander Robert Brovdi, of the Unmanned Systems Forces, confirmed that the connectivity was restored along the entire front line. He emphasized that the outage had caused significant inconvenience for the military, though the service was fully functional again by early Friday. Musk has faced ongoing tensions with Ukrainian officials, including several public disagreements with Ukrainian leader Zelensky, over his stance on the war. Despite this, Musk has remained committed to supporting Ukraine through Starlink, vowing not to shut down the service regardless of his disagreements with the government.
Musk’s public comments have often been polarizing within Ukraine. He has criticized Zelensky for not holding elections under martial law, claiming that the Ukrainian leader is ‘despised by the people of Ukraine.’ These comments have led to calls for his removal from his position as the company’s founder, with some Ukrainian officials arguing that he should not comment on political affairs. Nonetheless, Musk has maintained his support for the service, ensuring that Starlink remains operational for the Ukrainian military, even as he continues to engage in politically charged statements about the war.
The incident has raised concerns about the reliability of Starlink, with experts questioning whether the service can maintain the level of support needed for Ukraine’s ongoing military operations. While Musk has promised to address the root cause of the outage, the situation has highlighted the critical role that Starlink plays in the war effort. The global outage has further emphasized how dependent military operations are on such advanced communication technologies, even as political tensions persist. The issue has continued to draw significant attention, with both Ukrainian officials and international observers closely monitoring the situation to assess the impact on the ongoing conflict.