Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of restricting military satellite communications, leaving Ukrainian interceptor drones struggling to stop Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy claims that Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, has again been subjected to restrictions that cut communications when equipment travels faster than 161 kilometres per hour. The limits are apparently causing serious problems for Ukrainian forces attempting to intercept Russia’s increasingly sophisticated attack drones.
The Ukrainian military says the restrictions have affected operations across the front line and Russian-occupied territories for several days. Zelenskyy insists that military investigations have ruled out random technical failures and identified systematic speed restrictions.
SpaceX has flatly denied the allegations, telling Ars Technica: “This is false. There has been no change.”
Unfortunately for Ukraine, its military commanders appear to be experiencing something considerably less reassuring. Ukrainian officials told Axios that the restrictions had progressively worsened over three days, with one official claiming every affected mission failed by the third day.
According to Ars Technica, the technical problem concerns how fast equipment can travel while maintaining its satellite connection. Ukrainian interceptor drones need to exceed 161 kilometres per hour to catch Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, but Zelenskyy says Starshield terminals lose connectivity when they cross that threshold.
Without the satellite connection, the interceptors cannot complete their missions. Zelenskyy said Russian attacks had already succeeded because Ukrainian drones could not reach the necessary speeds to intercept them.
This is the second time in less than a month that Ukraine has experienced the same problem. Restrictions appeared in mid-October, disrupting drone operations before communications were restored on 24 October. Ukrainian officials subsequently confirmed that equipment could maintain connections at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour.
The latest restrictions have appeared at an awkward political moment. American negotiators have been attempting to broker a settlement between Russia and Ukraine, with talks in Abu Dhabi followed by meetings involving US representatives and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
According to the Financial Times, senior Ukrainian officials suspect the restrictions were deliberately reinstated to put pressure on Kyiv during the negotiations. No independent confirmation exists of that allegation, and Ukraine has yet to establish who ordered the changes or why they occurred.
Musk has previously insisted that Starshield operates under US government control. He said the American military and ultimately the president made decisions about its operational restrictions, which puts responsibility for any deliberate throttling higher up the political chain.
US President Donald Trump denied ordering the earlier restrictions, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration had no prior knowledge of the slowdown. The Pentagon has yet to provide a public explanation for the latest Ukrainian complaints.
The distinction between Starlink and Starshield has become increasingly important. Starlink is SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet service, while Starshield is designed specifically for government and military customers. Ukraine accesses the latter through arrangements involving the US Department of Defence.
Musk previously accused Ukraine of violating Starlink’s terms by using the commercial network for offensive drone strikes. Ukrainian officials rejected that allegation, pointing out that existing restrictions prevented the activities Musk described.
European officials are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the arrangement. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier described the renewed reports as deeply concerning and warned that confirmed interference with Ukraine’s satellite communications would be unacceptable.
The episode has exposed Ukraine’s dependence on American-controlled satellite infrastructure for operations that can determine whether Russian attacks reach civilian targets. The government has begun exploring alternatives, including possible cooperation with Finnish companies ICEYE and Nokia to develop communications capabilities under Ukrainian control.
Ukraine’s existing arrangement for access to Starshield is due to expire in 2027, and Kyiv is seeking a replacement agreement. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy says his government is still waiting for Washington to explain why its interceptor drones are losing their connections.
