Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries for 100 days in exchange for expanding Starlink coverage by about 300 kilometers into Russia. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the discussions.
The proposal was made to Zelensky by US senators Roger Wicker and Kevin Cramer during their visit to Kiev on October 9. They were part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that also included two members of the House of Representatives.
According to the publication, Zelensky said that he was ready to accept such an agreement. However, there is no word on whether an agreement has been signed between Kiev and Washington or a deadline for its implementation.
What Ukraine would get
Expanding access to Starlink would allow Ukrainian forces to use satellite communications in operations against targets deeper inside Russian territory. These include launchers from which the Russian military fires ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities.
This would allow Ukrainian forces to try to destroy missile complexes before they are launched, rather than relying solely on air defenses to intercept missiles that have already been launched. This part of the proposal is presented as a separate form of protection for Ukraine, separate from the delivery of additional Patriot missiles.
Zelensky has already said that Kiev could stop striking Russian refineries in exchange for additional American Patriot systems. In a statement quoted by UNITED24 Media, he said:
„The ban has been lifted. That's enough.“The words were spoken after an earlier brief pause in strikes on Russian energy facilities.
The proposal comes after problems with Starshield
The issue of satellite communication has been exacerbated since restrictions on the military service Starshield, which is used by Ukrainian forces, were announced on October 14. According to The Associated Press, the restrictions affected drone missions and led to the loss of contact with some aircraft.
By the next day, some Ukrainian units reported that their connection had been restored to the required speed. It is not yet clear whether this is a technical issue, a temporary limitation or a solution by the American side. According to the Associated Press, Elon Musk has stated that Starshield is a system owned and controlled by the US government, while Starlink is a commercial service of SpaceX.
Thus, the proposal for a 100-day pause in Russian refineries remains at the discussion level. It links Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure with access to a communications system used to coordinate military operations.
Sources: focus-news.net, united24media.com, apnews.com