Ukraine Pushes for New Starshield Deal as October Outage Questions Linger

Ukraine is opening negotiations with the United States for a new Starshield satellite contract to replace its current agreement, which expires in mid-2027. A senior Ukrainian official said Kyiv is simultaneously examining stopgap measures while still awaiting answers about an October disruption that officials linked to military and civilian deaths.

Ukraine relies on SpaceX's Starshield, the US military variant of the Starlink satellite network, for drone operations against Russian threats and targets. In October, Ukrainian officials claimed a sudden change to the Starshield network, which they directly attributed to the failure of drones and defenses. Around the same time, US President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel to lower fuel costs, while warning Ukraine not to strike Russian refineries. The confluence of events raised questions about whether the change was a technical glitch or a deliberate order from inside the US government or SpaceX, specifically CEO Elon Musk.

Speaking to reporters at a Defense Writers Group breakfast, Ukraine's Chargé d'Affaires Denys Sienik said, "As I speak now, we are in the process of starting" negotiations with Washington, specifically with leaders inside the Pentagon. "I hope that the contract will be signed, and terms of reference will be negotiated, we will have funding, and we'll be able to defend ourselves," he added.

On the October disruption, Sienik said Ukraine still has no explanation. "We still don't have [an] answer from Pentagon and SpaceX [about] what has happened," he said, though he noted the network is "working now." He added, "Good news is that it has been resolved, and our military can further do their work. Do we want another situation like that? Definitely no."

Sienik said Ukraine needs the new contract because there is "no effective alternative" to the low-Earth orbit satellite system, but emphasized the country is looking at options for both the short and long term. "We are working on our capabilities domestically in Ukraine [and] Europeans are also working on their system," he said. "Everyone understands that it's always good to have a backup."

Sienik's comments came days after US mid-term elections, with Democrats poised to reclaim control of the Senate and House. Once in power, they are expected to begin oversight hearings into defense topics that may include Starshield and the slow rolling of $400 million in military aid to Ukraine. Sienik said Ukrainian officials will answer any questions lawmakers have but do not want to interfere with domestic affairs. He reasserted a plea for key US air defense capabilities, including Patriot interceptors and additional F-16 fighter jets. "The issue with the existing F-16s is that they are old, and we overuse them because they are super effective: We don't have enough of them," he said.

The push underscores Ukraine's continued dependence on Starshield for its drone operations even after the October incident, with Sienik stressing that no effective substitute currently exists while domestic and European alternatives remain under development.

What comes next is the formal negotiation of the new contract, which Sienik said is now beginning with Pentagon leaders, with the current agreement set to expire in mid-2027. Lawmakers returning to power after the midterms are expected to open oversight hearings that could address Starshield and stalled military aid.