WorldPosted at: Oct 15 2026 7:11PM


Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian refineries post Starlink tensions

Kyiv, Oct 15 (UNI) Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries despite US President Donald Trump's demands that Kyiv halt the attacks, as satellite communications restrictions affecting its military further strained relations with Washington.
A Ukrainian official told Axios that Ukraine had struck a Russian refinery overnight and that SpaceX's Starlink and the US government-controlled Starshield satellite services had been restored following unexpected restrictions earlier this week.
However, Ukraine's Defence Ministry said speed limits of 160kph remained in place on Starlink, significantly above the earlier restrictions but still insufficient for some military operations.
Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil exports, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as a "weak decision" and a "gift to Putin" has led to a deterioration in the US-Ukraine ties, with Trump even calling for Ukraine to elect a new president.
Ukrainian officials said SpaceX imposed the satellite restrictions on Tuesday night, with connections reportedly disrupted when drones exceeded 160kph and, in some cases, at speeds above 80kph.
The restrictions affected the military's ability to operate reconnaissance and interceptor drones, conduct long-range strikes and gather intelligence.
The disruption came hours after Ukraine failed to receive an early warning of a Russian ballistic missile attack, despite having relied on US alerts to detect incoming threats in recent years.
US officials reportedly attributed the missed warning to a technical malfunction, while Ukrainian officials questioned whether the incidents were connected to Washington's pressure campaign.
Ukraine's Defence Ministry said it remained in contact with SpaceX and international partners to secure stable service and prevent further unexpected restrictions. A Ukrainian official told Axios that the situation had improved but warned that a 160kph speed limit remained inadequate for intercepting some Russian jet-powered drones.
Ukrainian officials suspect the restrictions were imposed deliberately to pressure Kyiv into complying with Trump's demand to stop attacking Russian oil infrastructure. A senior US official denied that the administration was responsible for the reported Starlink constraints.
The US government controls Starshield, which is used for military operations, while Starlink is a commercial service operated by SpaceX. Elon Musk said Starshield's operational limits were determined by the US military and ultimately Trump, while Starlink was intended for civilian or defensive use rather than offensive military action.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also questioned Musk over the restrictions in a post on X, asking whether he was using his products to influence political decisions.
Zelensky's senior advisers contacted White House counterparts on Wednesday to ask whether a decision had been made to restrict Starlink and how the problem could be resolved. Ukrainian officials also contacted the CIA and Pentagon, according to sources cited by Axios.
White House officials reportedly told the Ukrainians that they did not control SpaceX, although one source said the administration planned to contact the company to establish what had happened.
Ukraine's latest refinery strike followed Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, despite Trump's announcement on Sunday that the two countries had agreed to an "energy ceasefire". Zelensky said the declaration had come as a surprise and accused Moscow of continuing its attacks without honouring the proposed arrangement.
The Ukrainian president has said Kyiv would consider halting strikes on Russian oil infrastructure if the US provided additional Patriot air defence missiles, amid shortages caused in part by competing military demands linked to the war involving Iran.
The dispute over satellite services and refinery attacks has added to uncertainty over the future of US support for Ukraine, with officials in both countries still seeking clarity over who authorised the restrictions and why they were imposed.
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