U.S. congressmen urged Hegseth to expand Ukraine’s access to Starshield
Kyiv • UNN
A bipartisan group of lawmakers asked Pete Hegseth to expand Starshield capabilities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, particularly during operations in Russia. They warned that restricting the service would strengthen Russia’s position.
A group of lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. Congress has called on the country’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide the Ukrainian military with broader access to Starshield. UNN reports this, citing a letter from the congressmen addressed to the head of the White House.
Details
The document states that the Starshield system should provide communications for the Armed Forces of Ukraine during military operations "even on Russian territory."
Ukrainian forces depend on these services for command and control, the exchange of intelligence, combat communications, and the operation of unmanned systems. Any degradation in service, including reduced connection speeds, limited geographic coverage, or disruptions in access, undermines Ukraine’s military effectiveness and gives Russian forces an operational advantage that will prolong the conflict and put more civilians at risk
The congressmen emphasize that decisions regarding the availability, coverage, and effectiveness of the services "should not be left solely to the discretion of a private provider when they have direct consequences for Ukraine’s ability to defend itself."
Reminder
American billionaire Elon Musk stated that the Ukrainian military had violated the terms of use of Starlink satellite communications by using it for drone strikes.