As veteran advocates depart, who will ensure Ukraine's critical drone operations maintain uninterrupted access to vital satellite networks?

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No single departing lawmaker can guarantee it; the best-positioned backstop is likely to be a mix of remaining Ukraine supporters in Congress and the Pentagon, not Capitol Hill veterans alone. The immediate issue is Starlink and Starshield access, which Ukrainian forces use for battlefield communications and drone operations. Recent disruptions and speed limits showed that continued service depends heavily on SpaceX and U.S. government oversight. That is why lawmakers from both parties have pushed the Defense Department to expand its Starshield contract, restore unlimited-speed service and use federal authorities, including the Defense Production Act if needed, to keep access reliable. Among Republicans still seen as credible Ukraine advocates, Sen. Roger Wicker, Sen. Katie Britt and Rep. Joe Wilson are the names most often cited as likely to carry the issue forward. Wicker has publicly emphasized Ukraine’s battlefield needs, Britt has backed tougher Russia pressure, and Wilson remains active in the congressional Ukraine caucus orbit. In the House and Senate more broadly, bipartisan lawmakers including Jimmy Panetta, Brian Fitzpatrick, Marcy Kaptur, Mike Quigley, Jim Costa, Mark Kelly and Jeanne Shaheen have already pressed for restored and protected satellite service. In practical terms, the strongest safeguard for uninterrupted drone connectivity is a formal U.S.-government-backed arrangement for Starshield/Starlink, with enforceable service requirements, rather than relia…

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