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U.S. satellite mapping company Maxar Technologies has blocked Ukraine’s access to its imagery, according to a report by Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi.
The publication quotes unnamed users of Maxar’s commercial service as saying that the company provided them with an official explanation that the restriction was made “in response to an administrative request.”
Maxar’s reported move could be a consequence of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to stop supplying American military intelligence data to Ukraine. It could be seen as evidence that the ban affects not only state institutions, but also U.S. companies and commercial services providing satellite data to Ukraine.
POLITICO reached out to Maxar for confirmation of the report but had no immediate response outside of U.S. business hours.
Maxar is one of the leading providers of commercial satellite imagery to Ukrainian users, used particularly for tracking the movement of Russian troops and assessing damage to key infrastructure, Militarnyi noted. Intelligence sharing has also helped Ukraine prepare for and repel Russian missile strikes in the past.
However, Kyiv is now grappling with a cutoff in U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing as the Trump administration dials up pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to strike a rapid peace deal with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The night after the U.S. halted all intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Russian forces struck Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles, killing at least four people and wounding more than 30.
POLITICO has contacted other U.S. satellite imagery companies, including Planet Labs, BlackSky and Capella Space, to ask if they are still supplying services to Ukrainian users.
