Starlink seems to be working normally again in Ukraine

techcrunch.com Oct 25, 2026

Starlink seems to be working normally again in Ukraine

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 25, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

SpaceX has reportedly lifted the restrictions it placed on Starshield, the military‑grade variant of its Starlink broadband service used by Ukraine’s armed forces. Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara told reporters that the system is now operating normally, though the military continues testing and has not received an official explanation for the prior limitations. The restrictions, which lasted about ten days, caused Ukrainian drones traveling near 100 mph to lose connectivity, leading to loss of control of some unmanned aircraft and increased vulnerability of slower‑flying units. President Donald Trump called Elon Musk on Wednesday to request restoration of the service. Musk, who has publicly criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky, previously claimed Ukraine breached Starlink’s terms by employing the network for offensive drone strikes.

💡 Why It Matters

· Restoring Starshield averts an immediate collapse of Ukraine’s frontline communications, keeping its drone‑based warfare capability functional.

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Nov. 5: Satellite Mission Management at the Edge

On November 5, SpaceNews and RTX will host a virtual event titled “Satellite Mission Management at the Edge,” focusing on the evolving demands of national‑security satellite operations. Speakers will examine how edge computing, automation, cloud‑native architectures, and modular design can speed technology upgrades, boost resilience, and lower costs while preserving security and control. The discussion will address the integration of emerging commercial capabilities with legacy systems and the need for faster decision‑making on orbit. The event, scheduled for 10:00‑10:45 a.m. ET via Zoom, will be recorded for later viewing. RTX, a defense and aerospace firm with over 180,000 employees and projected 2025 sales exceeding $88 billion, will showcase its role in modernizing mission management for defense and intelligence customers.

💡 Edge‑focused technologies promise to shrink the latency between threat detection and satellite response, giving U.S. defense assets a decisive operational edge.

space.com · Oct 24

After Starshield interruption, Ukraine wants to build its own satellite communication network…

Ukraine’s military signed a letter of intent with Finnish telecom giant Nokia and satellite‑imaging firm ICEYE to explore a sovereign satellite‑communication network. The move follows a reported throttling of Starshield, the U.S.-government‑controlled, jamming‑resistant version of SpaceX’s Starlink, which limited drone bandwidth on Oct. 14 and forced several UAVs to crash. Kyiv, which relies on Starlink and Starshield for command, control and intelligence, lacks ownership of any orbital assets. ICEYE, which already supplies synthetic‑aperture‑radar imagery to Ukrainian forces, and Nokia, which announced a broader partnership to help nations build independent satcom systems, will assess trusted, high‑performance connectivity that Ukraine can control. The initiative aims to reduce dependence on foreign constellations amid ongoing Russian aggression and strengthen its strategic communications resilience significantly.

💡 Reliance on externally controlled constellations leaves Ukraine vulnerable to political or technical restrictions, a risk now exposed by the Starshield slowdown.

thehackernews.com · Oct 20

Russian APT28 Breaches NATO Naval Shipbuilder in NATO Country, Deploys New Reflective…

A Russia‑linked state‑sponsored group identified as APT28 (also known as BlueDelta, Fancy Bear and Forest Blizzard) has been linked to cyber‑espionage attacks against two NATO member states. The Symantec Threat Hunter Team, tracking the activity under the name Swallowtail, reported the use of a backdoor called HOOKEDGE and a previously undocumented reflective loader named ld.exe. Victims included a law‑enforcement agency, a naval shipbuilder and a military‑aircraft‑engine manufacturer. In the shipbuilder breach, attackers returned to the compromised host for a week, stole credentials via two distinct methods, opened a persistent SSH tunnel and deployed the new loader, which decrypts and runs an encrypted payload in memory using a runtime key. The campaign shifted from webhook‑based command‑and‑control to a dedicated IP address for tasking and exfiltration. The most recent indicator was a Visual Basic Script launcher observed on 24 September 2026; the extent of data exfiltration remains unknown.

💡 The operation demonstrates APT28’s evolving toolset and persistence tactics, raising the risk profile for critical defense suppliers within NATO.

thequantuminsider.com · Oct 20

Arqit Invests in Sirius to Develop Quantum-Safe Defence Communications

Arqit Quantum Inc. has invested strategically in Sirius Computer to accelerate the development of Crux, a software‑based quantum‑safe communications platform. The partnership merges Sirius’s secure networking hardware with Arqit’s Sovereign Key Platform and NetworkSecure adaptors, enabling secure data exchange across mobile devices, cloud, and autonomous systems. The investment will fund product development, integration, and joint go‑to‑market efforts targeting NATO members, the UK Ministry of Defence, and the US Department of Defense. Both companies aim to expand secure networking solutions without replacing existing infrastructure.

💡 The collaboration promises a scalable, lightweight quantum‑safe solution that can be deployed on commercial devices, reducing the logistical burden on defence forces while ensuring long‑term data protection.

therobotreport.com · Oct 20

Gecko Robotics secures $300M contract with the U.S. Navy

Gecko Robotics announced that the U.S. Navy and the General Services Administration have raised the ceiling on its contract to $300 million, quadrupling the original $71 million IDIQ award. The expansion funds rapid deployment of Gecko’s Komodo robotic system and associated AI‑driven inspection tools across the fleet. Komodo can scan thick, non‑skid deck coatings without stripping, producing full‑deck heatmaps of corrosion and material thickness, which enables repair teams to plan work before dry‑docking. Gecko claims the technology can identify structural issues up to 50 times faster than traditional methods, cutting inspection times from months to days and saving up to $8 million per ship in repair costs. The contract supports the Navy’s goal of 80 percent fleet readiness by reducing maintenance downtime.

💡 Faster, AI‑powered inspections give the Navy a tangible edge in keeping warships operational, directly translating to stronger deterrence and response capabilities.

space.com · Oct 16

SpaceX launches classified mission for the US Space Force (video)

SpaceX lifted off a classified U.S. Space Force payload from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Oct. 15 at 8:01 p.m. EDT aboard a Falcon 9. The rocket’s first stage, booster 1081, touched down on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, marking its 28th flight and 16th successful recovery. The mission, designated USSF‑481, carried undisclosed payloads to an unknown orbit, and SpaceX provided no further details during the webcast. Booster 1081’s prior record includes crew, cargo, and 16 Starlink deployments among other national‑security missions. USSF‑481 was the 114th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, a year in which more than 70 percent of SpaceX’s flights have supported the Starlink constellation. The sky allowed spectators to view the launch live.

💡 It demonstrates SpaceX’s dual role in commercial broadband expansion and secretive defense operations, underscoring the company’s strategic importance to U.S. national security.