US senators urge wider Starshield access for Ukraine's operations in Russia
The US Senate has put forward a new initiative to strengthen Ukrainian Armed Forces (photo: Getty Images)
US lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have urged President Donald Trump to grant Ukrainian forces broader access to Starshield, according to The Hill and a joint statement from the lawmakers.
The official appeal to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was published on Senator Mark Kelly's website on October 23.
The Hill notes that the letter's authors are prominent pro-Ukraine politicians.
They are pushing to expand access to Starshield to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.
The lawmakers are trying to convince Donald Trump and his team that the system should provide communications for Ukraine's Armed Forces during military operations deep inside Russian territory.
In their appeal, the lawmakers urged the Pentagon to maintain the necessary geographic coverage for Ukraine to conduct legitimate military operations, including on Russian territory.
They also called for a smooth transition from the commercial Starlink network to Starshield, which operates under a US government contract.
The letter's authors emphasized that satellite communications are a key element of Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Notably, Ukrainian troops can currently use Starlink only within the country's internationally recognized territory.
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that on October 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink connectivity at the front had been restored to the required speed.
Meanwhile, British officials revealed who had urged Donald Trump to make the decision.
