Russia Ex-Space Chief Demands Starlink Destruction to End Ukraine War in Weeks
A Russian senator and former space agency chief has called for the systematic destruction of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, claiming cutting Ukraine off from the internet service would end the war within two to three weeks [196079]. Meanwhile, Europe’s ambitious $700,000-per-round air-defense missile has yet to intercept a single target, with only 12 months left to deliver a working shot [196077].
Senator Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s former space agency chief, stated that Russia knows several ways to destroy the Starlink constellation, which provides critical communication links for Ukraine’s military and civilian infrastructure [196079]. Rogozin did not specify the methods Russia would use, but his statement marks an escalation in rhetoric against the commercial satellite system that has been vital for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion [196079].
On the other side of the battlefield, ten countries have joined a coalition to build Europe’s answer to the Patriot air-defense system [196077]. Ukraine already possesses the missile, and Germany holds the seeker—the guidance component—but Kyiv has not yet signed for it [196077]. The problem remains that nobody has actually intercepted a target, and the clock is ticking: 12 months remain to deliver a working shot at a cost of around $700,000 per round, with no foreign government able to turn it off [196077].