DOMINANT ANGLE
Vilnius is weighing Kiev's dependence on a private network: the Lithuanian press highlights Zelensky's call to Elon Musk and the latter's silence.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
On Wednesday, October 14, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Elon Musk to restore Starlink, which Kiev claims was slowed down.
- 02
Restrictions were applied to some terminals on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, affecting defense against Russian jet drones (Kauno diena).
- 03
Neither Starlink nor Elon Musk had commented; in August, Zelensky said he wanted an alternative with an unnamed European country.
ANALYSIS
Vilnius, October 15, 2026. The Lithuanian press is treating the Starlink episode as a call from Kiev to a private businessman, rather than a technical issue. Kauno diena and 15min are reporting the same story: on Wednesday, October 14, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Elon Musk to restore the system used on the battlefield, which Kiev claims was slowed down.
The advisor to Mr. Zelensky for technology indicated that, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, restrictions were applied to some Starlink terminals. According to Kauno diena, this affected Kiev's ability to defend itself against Russian jet drones. The newspaper recalls that Ukraine uses these terminals for satellite communication, as an alternative to radio control of its drones, and that it uses them to strike occupied territories and maneuver interceptor drones.
When asked by British journalist Piers Morgan about the message he would send to Mr. Musk, Mr. Zelensky replied: "So they cut it off. It's their decision." He added: "I hope it's a mistake, maybe a huge technical problem. I don't know, but we're asking them to restore it." The tone, measured, leaves open the possibility of a malfunction, without designating a responsible party.
The two media outlets are highlighting the silence of the other camp: neither Starlink nor Mr. Musk had commented on the Ukrainian statements at the time of publication. Kauno diena recalls that the owner of SpaceX has, on several occasions since the 2022 invasion, changed his position regarding the attacked country. The article also quotes Mr. Zelensky, who said in August that he wanted to build an alternative to Starlink with an unnamed European country.
The newspaper finally puts the episode into a broader context: on Sunday, Donald Trump wrote on social media that Ukraine and Russia had agreed on a ceasefire in the energy sector, but Kiev announced that a Russian missile had struck a power plant in the capital on Tuesday evening. From Vilnius' perspective, the dependence of an army on a network owned by a private individual, whose decisions remain unpredictable, is the striking fact of the story.
