Ukrainian officials have said that SpaceX introduced limitations on Starlink services in Ukraine, and they suspect the move was made at the request of US President Donald Trump. The suspicion links the technical restriction to a political directive, suggesting that the change in service may not be purely technical but influenced by external pressure.
According to Ukrainian reports, the limitation on Starlink services affects the guidance of longer-range drone strikes. This impacts logistics and control of those missions, as the drones rely on the satellite link for precise navigation while in flight.
Ukraine says SpaceX has put new speed limits on military grade Starlink terminals without warning, disrupting some missions, according to multiple outlets. SpaceX hasn’t commented. The affected service is StarShield, a Starlink subscription for government and military use. The Journal reports Ukraine’s access runs under a Defense Department contract. A Pentagon spokesman referred questions to President Trump’s remarks on intelligence sharing. Zelensky adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said the limit began overnight and forces got no warning. Accounts of the threshold vary. Beskrestnov and a Ukrainian defense ministry official point to about 160 km/h (100 mph), while Ukraine’s 7th Corps told Reuters connections dropped for 10 to 20 seconds at just 110 to 120 km/h. Units cancelled some missions. Per the Journal, drones can still fly but video feeds are less reliable, especially against moving targets, and they must fly slower to stay connected, making them easier to hit. Midrange drones are harder to launch, and Ukrainian officials say Starlink had recently helped Ukraine intercept Russia’s jet powered drones. Slower ground drones are largely unaffected. Drones flying over Russia were already barred from StarShield and use other guidance, so strikes on Russian oil and diesel production are unlikely to be affected, officials and defense executives told the Journal. The limit comes as Washington presses Kyiv to stop striking Russian refineries. Trump said Tuesday the U.S. is still sharing intelligence, after Zelensky said Kyiv received no warning ahead of a Russian missile attack. Source: https://t.co/x589GI1bYw
Ukrainian officials further state that the Starlink limitation interferes with the guidance of longer-range drone strikes that are crucial for targeting Russian logistics. They accuse the United States of aiding Russia by not providing warnings about the change and by allowing the speeds to be limited.
This numeric value is the threshold above which the service is deliberately slowed.
SpaceX has limited the speed of Starlink satellite Internet terminals used by the Ukrainian army to 160 km/h overnight. The restriction applies to terminals while in motion.
🇺🇦🇺🇸 Defense Ministry contacts US, SpaceX, and NATO over Starlink restrictions, - RBC-Ukraine sources The agency is collecting data from all units, and is also checking and activating backup communication channels due to the situation with the terminals.
Separately, SpaceX has introduced a limit on some Starlink services in Ukraine.
SpaceX had also restricted the speed of Starlink terminals while in motion. The restriction applies to Starlink terminals while in motion.
Ukraine says SpaceX limits Starlink operations, disrupting military https://t.co/7SXVA726i3 What the hell?
The speed limit imposed on the Ukrainian army’s Starlink terminals is 160 km/h. This numeric value is the threshold above which the service is deliberately slowed.
A separate note in 500,000 people were left without electricity following a Russian attack.
This is the same limit expressed in a different unit, equivalent to the 160 km/h figure.
Ukraine hosts approximately 29,000 Starlink satellite communications terminals.
Sergey Trukhachev noted that there are unlikely to be any significant changes in the SBU’s work given the use of stationary terminals. However, he warned that the interconnected nature of the infrastructure could cause short‑term glitches, disruptions, and missed operational deadlines for other activities such as fraudulent call centers and cyber operations.
Serhiy Beskrestnov stated that the defence forces did not receive a warning about the limitation, and this led to the disruption of several missions. The lack of advance notice meant that units were unprepared for the sudden change in performance.
Radoslaw Sikorski addressed Elon Musk directly on social media, asking, "Hey, Elon Musk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again? As your European customers, we are watching you." The comment frames the Starlink limits as a possible political move that is being watched by allies outside Ukraine.