A refinery in the Russian city of Ryazan burned in the early hours of a Thursday, struck by Ukraine in a fresh assault that came just as the satellite links its forces rely on were restored after two days of unexplained interruption. It is one more chapter in a war where energy and communications have become the sharpest instruments, and where the promises of the powerful outside it—a ceasefire announced but unconfirmed, a request to hold fire that Kyiv says it could not ignore—sit uneasily against the facts on the ground. Who ordered the restriction remains an open question, and that uncertai
Starlink Restored in Ukraine as Kyiv Strikes Russian Refinery Despite Washington's Request
The services are back, the refinery has burned, and the ceasefire is unconfirmed.
Mark
Why does a two-day slowdown in satellite service matter so much?
Mimi
Because these systems are central to how Ukraine fights. Starlink supports defensive operations, and Starshield is used in offensive ones and is controlled by the US government. Losing or throttling both at once is felt on the battlefield.
Mark
And then Ukraine hit a refinery in Ryazan right as service returned.
Mimi
Yes, despite Washington asking it to stop such strikes. The Ukrainian official's explanation is that Russia keeps hitting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Luke
That explanation is one official's account, relayed by Axios. We don't have a Russian response in this reporting, and the ceasefire Trump announced hasn't been confirmed by either Kyiv or Moscow.
Mark
What do we actually know about the damage?
Mimi
Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed the refinery fire and an attack on a warehouse and vehicles at another industrial site in Ryazan. No casualties were reported.
Luke
Worth noting that's a Russian regional official's confirmation, and it doesn't tell us the scale of damage. The Voronezh airfield fires were reported, not detailed.
Mark
Did Trump order the restriction?
Mimi
Nobody seems to know. Even people inside the administration and the Ukrainian government are unsure. Musk said it was a US government decision.
Luke
That's a disclaimer, not evidence. Musk pointing to the government doesn't establish who gave the order, and the reporting says that's still unclear.
Mark
So what's the real tension here?
Mimi
It follows the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil sales, Zelensky's "gift to Putin" remark, and Trump's call for Ukraine to elect a new president. Trust was already thin.
Luke
And whether the satellite restriction was connected to the refinery request is not something this reporting establishes. The timing invites that reading, but it remains unproven.
Le Pouls
- Starlink and Starshield, the satellite lifelines of Ukrainian forces, went dark or slowed abruptly for about two days with no explanation given.
- A fire raged at a Ryazan refinery in Russia just as the services came back to full strength, and Kyiv answered an American request to halt such strikes with fresh action.
- Ukraine says Russia keeps hitting its energy grid even after Trump announced a ceasefire, yet neither Kyiv nor Moscow has confirmed that any truce exists.
- Washington's lifting of sanctions on Russian oil has angered Zelensky, who calls it a gift to Putin, while Trump has responded by urging Ukraine to elect a new president.
- No one has yet admitted ordering the satellite cutoff, and officials on both sides are unsure whether the president himself gave the order.
A refinery in the Russian city of Ryazan burned in the early hours of a Thursday, struck by Ukraine in a fresh assault that came just as the satellite links its forces rely on were restored after two days of unexplained interruption. It is one more chapter in a war where energy and communications have become the sharpest instruments, and where the promises of the powerful outside it—a ceasefire announced but unconfirmed, a request to hold fire that Kyiv says it could not ignore—sit uneasily against the facts on the ground. Who ordered the restriction remains an open question, and that uncertainty may matter as much as the strike itself to the strained bond between Washington and Kyiv.
In the early hours of Thursday, a fire burned at an oil refinery in Ryazan, deep inside Russia. Ukraine had struck it, despite a request from Washington that it stop hitting such targets. The strike arrived at the same moment that the satellite services Ukrainian forces depend on were restored to full strength.
A Ukrainian official told Axios that both Starlink, the commercial satellite network used for defensive operations on the battlefield, and Starshield, a system controlled by the US government and used for offensive missions, had been completely restored. For roughly two days, access had been cut or slowed without any explanation, at a moment when the links were critical to troops on the ground.
Ryazan's governor, Pavel Malkov, confirmed the refinery fire and an attack on a warehouse and vehicles at another industrial site. No casualties were reported. Separately, explosions and fires were reported at a military airfield in the Voronezh region.
Kyiv's reasoning, as relayed to Axios, is that Russia has continued to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure, even after Donald Trump announced a ceasefire. Neither side has confirmed that any agreement exists.
The episode unfolds against a backdrop of tension. Last week, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian oil sales, a move Zelensky called a weak decision and a gift to Putin. Trump responded by calling on Ukraine to elect a new president.
Who ordered the satellite restriction is still unclear. Officials in both the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government are unsure whether the president himself made the call. Elon Musk publicly disclaimed responsibility, saying the decision came from the US government.
What is known is narrow: the services are back, the refinery has burned, and no one was reported hurt. What remains unknown is why the restriction happened, who ordered it, and whether a ceasefire exists at all.
In the early hours of Thursday, a fire burned at an oil refinery in Ryazan, a Russian city. Ukraine had struck it again, and it did so after being asked by Washington to stop hitting such targets. The attack came just as satellite services that Ukrainian forces depend on were switched back to full strength.
A Ukrainian official told Axios that both Starlink and Starshield had been completely restored in Ukraine. For roughly two days the services had been restricted abruptly and without explanation. Starlink is the commercial satellite service Ukrainian forces use for defensive operations on the battlefield. Starshield is a system used in offensive military operations and is controlled by the US government. This week SpaceX restricted access to Starlink, and Starshield experienced a slowdown at the same time.
Ryazan's regional governor, Pavel Malkov, confirmed the fire at the refinery. He also confirmed an attack on a warehouse and vehicles at another industrial facility in the city. No casualties were reported. Separately, explosions and fires were reported at a military airfield in the Voronezh region.
The Ukrainian official gave Axios the reasoning behind the renewed strikes: Russia has kept attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. That continued even after Donald Trump announced that the two sides had agreed to a ceasefire. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow has confirmed that any such agreement was reached, which leaves the announced ceasefire without confirmation from the parties it supposedly binds.
The episode lands on already strained ground. Last week the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian oil sales, a step that effectively aligned Washington with Vladimir Putin's position. Volodymyr Zelensky called it a "weak decision" and a "gift to Putin." Trump answered by calling on Ukraine to elect a new president.
Who decided to restrict the satellite services remains unsettled. According to Axios, members of the Trump administration and Ukrainian government officials alike are unsure whether the US president himself ordered it. On Wednesday evening Elon Musk commented publicly and disclaimed responsibility, saying that whatever was happening was a decision made by the US government.
So the facts on the table are narrow. The services are back, the refinery in Ryazan has burned, and no one has been reported hurt. What is not established is why the restriction happened, who ordered it, and whether a ceasefire exists. Those questions will shape how far the relationship between Washington and Kyiv deteriorates from here.
Citations marquantes
Zelensky called the lifting of sanctions a "weak decision" and a "gift to Putin."— Volodymyr Zelensky
Musk said whatever was happening was a decision made by the US government.— Elon Musk, per the report
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