Overview
- SpaceX, at Ukraine’s request, disabled unregistered Starlink terminals across Ukrainian territory, with access restored only for devices added to a daily updated whitelist and subject to movement-based limits reportedly including a speed cutoff around 90 km/h.
- Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters says Russian actors are pressuring or paying families of Ukrainian prisoners of war to register terminals in their names, with offers reported up to about Hr 10,000 (roughly $230).
- Authorities warn that Ukrainians who register devices later used in attacks can face criminal liability, noting that the registration process verifies identities and enables traceability.
- Ukrainian officials and Russian military bloggers report disrupted Russian frontline communications and reduced drone effectiveness, though Ukrainian experts caution the impact is likely short-term.
- A senior NATO official said the loss of Starlink access put Russian command-and-control in a predicament and has helped Ukraine push back in parts of Zaporizhzhia, while Kyiv downplayed claims of a broader counteroffensive.