Ukraine Could Get Starlink Deep Inside Russia in Exchange for 100-Day Oil Strike Pause, WSJ Says

Two Republican US senators have proposed expanding Starlink coverage roughly 300 kilometers, or 186 miles, inside Russia in exchange for Ukraine suspending strikes on Russian oil refineries for 100 days, The Wall Street Journal reported on October 15, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Senators Roger Wicker and Kevin Cramer presented the proposal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an October 9 visit to Kyiv as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation, according to the report.

Zelenskyy indicated that he was prepared to accept such an arrangement, the sources said.

The expanded coverage could give Ukrainian forces reliable satellite connectivity during operations against Russian ballistic missile launchers located deeper behind the border.

That would potentially allow Ukraine to target the systems before they launch missiles rather than relying solely on air defenses to intercept incoming weapons after they are fired.

Zelenskyy has publicly said Ukraine could also consider halting strikes on Russian refineries in return for additional US-made Patriot interceptors. The Starlink proposal would offer a different form of protection by helping Ukrainian forces target the launch platforms themselves.

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War in Ukraine

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According to the WSJ, the senators viewed the proposed arrangement as a possible first step toward reviving a stalled diplomatic process.

The discussions come amid growing pressure from Washington for Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. US President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on October 11, after which Ukraine temporarily suspended strikes on Russian energy facilities.

Despite Kyiv observing the pause, Ukrainian forces subsequently stopped receiving US early warnings about Russian ballistic missile launches, according to Ukrainian officials. The military version of Starlink, Starshield, was also restricted, complicating frontline operations and middle-strike missions against Russian military targets.

Reuters separately reported that the instruction to restrict Starshield came from the White House, although its sources did not identify who specifically ordered the measure. A senior US official said Trump personally had not issued the order.

Previously, Ukraine lifted restrictions on strikes against Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure after observing a three-day pause requested by Washington, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.

“The ban has been lifted. We’ve had enough,” Zelenskyy said.

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