Ukraine makes territorial gains as Russia loses Starlink access

Ukraine has achieved its largest domestic territorial gains in more than two years after Elon Musk cut off Starlink internet service to Russian forces, showing how digital infrastructure is redefining the modern battlefield.

The satellite internet service was vital for Russian drones, troop communications, and real-time battlefield surveillance; Moscow’s forces had been using unauthorized connections, but Musk cut them off in February.

Ukraine’s subsequent gains show how “a private company is now a gatekeeper in orbit,” two experts argued in Foreign Policy, “helping decide who connects as well as where, under what conditions, and with what technical constraints.”

Starlink has also aided Iranian protesters evading government blackouts, illegal miners in the Amazon, and jihadi terrorist groups in Africa’s Sahel.