Ukrainian officials report that Starlink satellite speeds were limited overnight, hindering drone operations and air defenses. President Zelenskyy expressed feelings of betrayal, while Elon Musk attributed the restrictions to US government control.
Ukraine’s military reported that access to the Starlink satellite communications system was restricted overnight, limiting speeds to below 100mph. The limitation, which affected the military-grade version of the network known as Starshield, disrupted drone operations and air defense systems used to intercept Russian attacks.
The restrictions were applied without prior warning to the Ukrainian armed forces. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser on military technology to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the outage led to the failure of several missions. "Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions and this led to the failure of a number of missions," Beskrestnov said. "It’s clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is connected to the current political situation."
The speed limit rendered most long-range drones inoperable, as they typically travel faster than 100mph. The 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Ukrainian air assault forces noted that while drones continued to fly, the connectivity issues made them "harder to control." The restrictions also impacted the interception of jet-powered Shahed drones. According to Beskrestnov, interception rates had already dropped from more than 90% to about 60% when Russia upgraded its engines to jet power in the early summer.
Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX produces Starlink, stated that he did not make the decision to curtail the service. He clarified that the military version, Starshield, is owned and controlled by the US government. "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," Musk said, referring to President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian officials have not received a response from SpaceX regarding the rationale for the new restrictions. A Ukrainian official told NBC News that the armed forces learned about the limitations from customer support after filing a complaint. The White House, SpaceX, and Starlink did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The restrictions coincided with a period of heightened tension between Kyiv and Washington. President Zelenskyy, speaking in London, said he felt personally betrayed by President Trump. "Really, yes … but it’s a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings," Zelenskyy said. "It’s a pity that we are losing, we are losing a strong partner."
The outage occurred as Russia launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine without the usual advance warning from US intelligence. Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine had not been warned about strikes on two consecutive nights. While Trump denied that his administration had cut intelligence sharing, Zelenskyy said military advisers had received threats that intelligence sharing could be limited in the future. "I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States," Zelenskyy said. "This decision will bring a lot of human losses … Of course, people will die."
The disruption of Starlink services highlights the vulnerability of Ukraine’s military infrastructure to political decisions made in Washington. Starlink has been described by Musk as the "backbone" of Ukraine's army, and its restriction directly impacts the country's ability to defend against aerial attacks and conduct long-range strikes. The incident underscores the fragility of US-Ukraine relations amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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