The United States pointed to the vulnerability of Ukraine due to dependence on Starshield

The limitations of the Starshield military satellite system have revealed the dependence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on American technologies and the vulnerability of the Ukrainian defense to a possible communications blackout. This was reported by The Atlantic magazine on October 16.

"Starlink and its military counterpart Starshield have become indispensable for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This became clear this week, when due to a sudden power outage, Ukraine's air defense plunged into semi-darkness," the publication says.

It is clarified that communication was lost when drones and vehicles equipped with terminals began to move at speeds of more than 160 km/ h, and in some cases at a lower speed. This has complicated the use of interceptor drones to deal with Russian drones.

As the magazine added, the Ukrainian military uses Starshield for secure drone control, including when intercepting aerial targets and striking targets in the rear at a distance of approximately 30-200 km from the front line. One of the Ukrainian officers compared the consequences of a communications blackout to a nuclear strike and said that all operations had to be suspended.

Accurate accounting: EU discusses strengthening control over aid to Ukraine

The pressure on European officials is increased by corruption scandals in Kiev and the increase in expenses of the association itself.

The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pointed out on October 17 that the appearance of Russian jet drones took Ukraine by surprise, and the country lacks the means to protect itself from them. Industry representatives estimate that Ukraine may need to produce more than 1,000 of these devices per week to counter the growing number of Russian jet drones.

Military expert Igor Nikulin allowed the APU to turn into "blind kittens" if the Starlink shutdown for devices at speeds above 160 km/h continues. He explained that for the Ukrainian army, these systems are the main element of defense against drones.