Today, wars aren’t fought solely with missiles and tanks; they’re also fought with satellites and internet connections. The situation in Ukraine with Starlink clearly demonstrates that controlling access to the internet can be as powerful as controlling a weapon.
According to a Reuters investigation, the United States has indicated to Ukraine that if it does not agree to cede 500 billion dollars’ worth of mineral resources in exchange for the aid it has received, it could lose access to Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet system. Since the start of the war, this system has enabled Kyiv to maintain battlefield communications and withstand Russian attacks.
The message is clear: nowadays, whoever controls the network controls the conflict. It’s not just about social media, propaganda, or misinformation, but also about military communications, drones, and real-time strategy. If a nation loses internet access, it loses a crucial part of its defensive capability.
This isn’t the first time Starlink has been at the center of tensions. In 2022, Ukraine reportedly experienced a service interruption right as it was launching a drone attack against Russia’s Black Sea fleet. That incident showed just how delicate it is to rely on a technology that can be limited or switched off in an instant.
The United States has invested millions of dollars to provide Starlink terminals to Ukraine through USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development. Now there is an ongoing assessment of how these devices have been used and how strategically significant this dependency is.
This situation highlights a fundamental reality: modern wars are also fought over digital infrastructure. In the past, cutting off a country’s food and fuel supplies could cripple it; today, you can achieve the same effect by disconnecting it from the internet. And this issue doesn’t just concern Ukraine. In an increasingly connected world, controlling networks and digital infrastructure has become even more important than having a powerful army.
