Archive · 15 Aug 2025
USAID Failed to Track Starlink Terminals in Ukraine, Report Says
Imagine the US sent a bunch of internet dishes (Starlink terminals) to Ukraine to help people connect.
A watchdog checked to see how they were being used, but they found the US didn't keep track of them very well.
They weren't sure where all the dishes went or what they were used for.
The US said it was too hard to keep track because of the war.
The report showed that nearly half of the dishes that were working ended up in areas controlled by Russia.
The report didn't say who was using them or what they were doing with them, but Ukraine previously accused Russia of using the dishes.
USAID did not monitor the use of 5,175 Starlink terminals sent to Ukraine.
The agency's inspector general found that the lack of tracking was due to the 'complex wartime environment' and Ukraine's urgent need for the terminals.
Nearly half of the active terminals ended up in areas fully or partially held by Moscow.
USAID said tracking the terminals was impractical due to dangerous wartime conditions and the emergency caused by Russian strikes.
The report did not examine Ukraine’s use of the terminals for military operations.
- Who
- USAID, SpaceX, and Ukraine
- What
- USAID failed to monitor the use of Starlink terminals sent to Ukraine.
- When
- After Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
- Where
- Ukraine
- Why
- Due to the complex wartime environment and Ukraine’s urgent need for the terminals.
- Agency
- USAID
- Terminals Sent
- 5,175
- Terminals Purchased by USAID
- 1,508
- Terminals Donated by SpaceX
- 3,667
- Areas with Terminals
- Areas fully or partially held by Moscow