Ukrainian forces regain Starlink access as drone strikes hit Russian targets
Ukraine's defence minister announced that military units have restored connectivity to SpaceX's Starlink service, while Ukrainian drones struck several industrial sites in Russia.
Defence Minister Jevhenyij Hmara confirmed on Saturday that Ukrainian forces have re-established access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet and its Starshield military network, a critical tool for operating drones, maintaining communications and managing logistics, with data rates exceeding 400 km per hour. The restoration follows earlier denials by Elon Musk and the U.S. government regarding any slowdown of the service.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones launched attacks on several Russian industrial sites: in Togliatti, the Avtovaz automobile plant and the TogliattiAzot fertilizer complex were targeted, though local officials said no one was injured. In the Oryol region, a strike hit the Proton-Electrotex electronics plant, igniting fires and leaving three bodies among the rubble. Additional drone activity was reported in Kharkiv oblast, where at least three civilians were killed and one seriously wounded. Russia's defence ministry said its air defenses downed 616 drones overnight across more than 20 regions, while Ukraine's air force claimed to have shot down 101 of the incoming Russian drones, with two injuries reported in Kyiv.
Why it matters
Restored Starlink connectivity boosts Ukraine's military capabilities, while the expanding drone campaign intensifies the conflict's cross-border impact.
How this story developed
- Oct 3 Russian missile attacks damage Kyiv's Northern Bridge, halt east-west traffic
- Oct 3 The Northern Bridge was struck after earlier attacks closed the Southern Bridge.
- Oct 4 Russian drone hit the Northern Bridge on Oct 4, marking the fourth consecutive day of bridge attacks.
- Oct 7 A large‑scale missile and drone barrage hit Kyiv in the early hours.
- Oct 7 Two civilian deaths reported in Kyiv and simultaneous strikes hit other Ukrainian cities on Putin's birthday.
- Oct 7 Ukrainian air defenses reported downing 161 of the incoming missiles and drones.
- Oct 11 Power outages now affect additional neighborhoods in Kyiv.
- Oct 18 Ukrainian drones launched a large-scale attack on St. Petersburg early on Oct. 18, triggering multiple explosions and fires across the city.
- Oct 18 Authorities confirmed one fatality and five injuries resulting from the St. Petersburg raid.
- Oct 19 Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a Russian air strike on Kyiv resulted in one civilian death—a 21-year-old woman—and three injuries, also damaging a metro station on the city’s left bank. In parallel, President Vladimir Putin suggested holding a three-way summit with the United States and China to discuss a peace framework favorable to Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said talks are ongoing but no concrete agreement on the meeting has been reached.
- Oct 19 Putin has floated a US‑China‑Russia summit to discuss a peace framework.
- Oct 20 New civilian deaths and injuries were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv and several other oblasts.
- Oct 22 Missile strikes hit Kyiv’s Pivdennyi Bridge and a monastery.
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