New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- The episode raised fresh questions about Ukraine's reliance on the Starshield program and who actually controls access to it.

By Thursday, some Ukrainian units said their connectivity had returned to normal, though uncertainty remained over what had caused the restrictions.

The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by President Donald Trump's reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.

"The Starshield shutdown was short, lasted only one day, but several drones and other systems were affected. Some missions failed, and we lost drones because communications were cut off," said Yevhen Karas, the commander of Ukraine's 413th ...