The full-scale war in Ukraine began with fast, armored advances that covered hundreds of miles in weeks. Then drones began finding tanks and other vehicles in their hideouts, destroying them before offensives could get going.

By 2024, both sides had largely given up on armored warfare. A 19-mile-wide “kill zone” now straddles the front line, with drones spotting and striking anything that moves. The front line has barely shifted. Ukraine recently found a way to get tanks back into the fight, raising the prospect of a new phase in the conflict.

But those innovative tactics could be under threat, following interruptions to Ukraine’s use of the Starlink satellite network. Ukraine believes that the (ongoing) restrictions are part of a deliberate effort by the Trump administration to weaken their ability to fight, while the White House denies cutting it deliberately. A report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this week suggests that Starlink’s owner, Elon Musk, may himself have made the decision to curb Kyiv’s access to the technology.

The Trump administration has thrown Putin yet another lifeline

The Trump administration has thrown Putin yet another lifeline

Aside from drones, nothing has changed the character of war as much as Musk’s SpaceX network: 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit that beam broadband internet to Starlink terminals (a satellite dish and router) on the ground. This simple, robust kit allows units........

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