Starlink restored to Ukraine as strikes kill three and UK defence secretary meets US counterpart
Starlink access has been restored to Ukraine after it was cut off, as Russian drone strikes killed three people and the UK defence secretary met Pete Hegseth in Washington.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Starlink satellite access has been restored to Ukraine, according to sources inside Kyiv's defence ministry. The restoration came a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt betrayed by Donald Trump. UK defence secretary Wes Streeting later said he had been reassured about the restoration during talks in Washington with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
The restored service follows a shutdown that was described as instantly devastating for Ukraine's defences. Critics said Elon Musk had switched off the effective internet system Ukrainian forces rely on. The episode has renewed concerns in Europe about dependence on private and American-controlled digital infrastructure. One commentator said it raised the question of who made Elon Musk 'god of the communication system'.
At the same time, three people were killed in a wave of Russian drone strikes on Ukraine overnight. The attacks reportedly lasted more than 10 hours and hit businesses, logistics centres, warehouse facilities and residential buildings. Ukraine also appeared to have abandoned hope of an energy ceasefire and attacked a Russian oil refinery.
The developments came as Wes Streeting met Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. Streeting gave a speech in Washington before the meeting in which he called Ukraine the front line for freedom and warned against appeasement. He said: 'if borders can be redrawn by force, if the sovereignty of nations becomes negotiable, the consequence shall not be confined to Ukraine or to my continent.' The meeting was described as a meet-and-greet laced with awkwardness, with no meeting of minds on Ukraine. Streeting's aim was to reinforce British and European support for Ukraine's interests, but the talks exposed the difficulty of doing so while US policy shifts. He shouted questions at Hegseth, asking whether he was Vladimir Putin's puppet on Ukraine, whether Putin was playing him like a fiddle, and whether he was selling allies out on Ukraine.
The wider context included US pressure on Ukraine and debate over sanctions. Reports said the Trump administration was considering lifting sanctions on some vessels in Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which transport oil and petroleum products from countries including Russia, Iran and Venezuela. Critics linked this to a diesel deal and other measures they said were nakedly pro-Putin. The cost of moving a tanker of oil was said to have risen from about $4 million to $80 million, adding to pressure on global supply chains. In Europe, the Starlink shutdown was treated as a wake-up call about the need for self-reliance in satellite systems, military production and digital infrastructure.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| A strike on a shop in Kharkiv killed three people and injured more than 20. | Reported by BBC One | |
| Only on one channel | ||
| The UK defence secretary met US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington. | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Ukrainian defence ministry sources said access to the Starlink satellite system had been restored. | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Wes Streeting warned against appeasement and described Ukraine as the frontline for freedom in a speech in Washington. | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Zelensky said he felt betrayed by the US over a deal to buy Russian fuel. | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Sky News |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The programme treated the Starlink restoration as one part of a wider critique of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It focused on the political fallout from the Starlink shutdown, Europe's digital and defence dependence, and the US administration's energy sanctions policy. The tone was strongly critical and panel-driven, with the Hegseth meeting handled through a correspondent report.
- “it's the most appalling thing that's happened in the two years that Donald Trump has been president trying to sort of crush Ukraine”
- “his right-hand man Elon Musk switched off the effective internet that the Ukrainians use in their defence”
- “who on earth made Elon Musk god of the communication system”
This programme led on the diplomatic meeting and the Starlink reassurance, with a correspondent package rather than a studio panel. It highlighted the awkwardness between the UK and US positions on Ukraine and Streeting's tough speech on appeasement. It carried less of the broader critique of Trump, Musk, and energy sanctions.
- “the Defense Secretary Wes Streeting has met his u.s counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington where he says he was reassured that Ukraine's access to a Vital Starlink satellite communication system has been restored”
- “This was a meet-and-greet laced with awkwardness”
- “Mr. Secretary, are you Vladimir Putin's puppets on Ukraine?”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.