A worker of Stetman LLC repairs damaged Starlink terminal in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on July 14, 2025.
Photographer: Andrew Kravchenko/BloombergSpace
Starlink Techies Keep Musk’s Network Running, Even in a War
Ukrainians are adapting critical yet fragile SpaceX equipment to withstand Russia’s assault
In most of the world, fixing broken receivers for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service is fairly straightforward: Users can get help by entering a support ticket with the company online. “Please make sure,” the website helpfully reminds customers, “to update your shipping address in the event replacement hardware is shipped.”
But what if your location is a trench in war-torn eastern Ukraine that’s obstructed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drones, glide bombs and infantry?