#Starlink

The head of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Oleg Ivashchenko, stated in an interview with the NYT that some of the repeaters for Russian drones on the territory of Belarus are working again, and that Kyiv has the capabilities to deal with them. This contradicts Zelensky's June statement about their disconnection.

ISW and the N2YO tracker confirm: none of the 16 satellites in the second 'Rassvet' batch, launched on July 19, reached operational orbit. Moscow is not ready for the pace of deploying its Starlink analog.

The Financial Times reports that Elon Musk is ready to allow Ukraine to use Starlink-equipped drones to strike Russian military objects up to 200 km from the border, but, according to him, the final decision must be made by the White House. SpaceX and Musk have not publicly confirmed this.

According to RBC-Ukraine, Kyiv continues its dialogue with Elon Musk on support, while Ukrainian outlets call his position contradictory following the Starlink restrictions and the award of the Order of Freedom.

Elon Musk has been awarded the Order of Freedom by a decree of Volodymyr Zelensky for his merits in protecting human life and developing Ukraine–U.S. relations. According to Telegraph, he is the fifth American to receive this award.

SpaceX begins the orderly wind-down of Falcon 9 after nearly 700 missions: most commercial launches are set to cease around 2028, while the full transition to Starship depends on the results of the megarocket's test flights.

Elon Musk announced that the Starlink constellation has reached 11,000 satellites in orbit — no other provider comes close to this figure. Starlink accounts for more than half of all payloads in low Earth orbit, while Amazon Leo has failed to meet its deployment deadline.

Geely's subsidiary Geespace has received a two-year license from Chinese regulators to test a satellite communications system for IoT — a first for a private operator in China.

At a closed meeting with journalists, Zelensky recounted that Trump accused him of misleading him due to a discrepancy over SpaceX's readiness to provide Starlink for strikes on Russia. Kyiv confirmed that the initial Ministry of Defense report did not match Musk's position.

Zelensky said that Ukraine had tried to agree with Trump and Musk on Starlink operating over Russia, but the billionaire refused, calling it an escalation. Talks with the US are ongoing.

According to insiders, Trump rejected Zelensky's personal request to negotiate with Musk regarding the expansion of Starlink for strikes on Russian territory. Kyiv was counting on satellite communication for deep-strike drones.

Russia is deploying the low-orbit satellite communication system «Rassvet» as a response to Starlink. An investigation by the Center for Defense Reform revealed its military application, delays in the schedule, and dependence on foreign components.

On August 19, SpaceX carried out its 100th launch since the beginning of 2026: a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Base deployed 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. Of the 100 launches, 97 were performed by Falcon 9, and 74 missions were related to expanding the Starlink constellation.

Iridium has filed a complaint with the US FCC demanding a block on the Starlink network expansion due to the risk of radio frequency interference with their mobile communications. SpaceX plans for gigabit speeds, but the competitor insists on compliance with standards.

SpaceX has waived Starlink fees in Indonesia until September 16 following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The company will also replace terminals damaged during the natural disaster for free.

🇨🇳 China successfully launched the 24th batch of satellites for the global Qianfan network! 🚀 📅 August 16, 2026, 12:10 Beijing Time 📍 Commercial spaceport on Hainan Island ✅ All satellites reached orbit 🔧 Rocket developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology 🌐 Goal: Creating a competitor to Starlink #China #Qianfan #Space #Satellites #Starlink #Technology

🚀 Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov revealed Russia's plans to create the "Rassvet" satellite network — a Starlink analogue. For this, Russia will need 12-15 launches of "Soyuz" rockets. Launches from the "Plesetsk" cosmodrome have already begun. Ukraine is striking factories producing rockets, but Russia is ahead of its own plans. 🛰️⚡️ #Rassvet #Starlink #Ukraine #Russia

🚀 SpaceX is expanding its Texas factory for Starlink satellite production. Elon Musk predicts Starlink will capture over 90% of global internet traffic. Experts expect improved internet speed and coverage. #SpaceX #Starlink #InternetExpansion