Starlink Speed Limits Disrupt Ukrainian Drone Operations
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Ukrainian forces reported that Starlink terminals faced new speed limits overnight, cutting connectivity when moving faster than one hundred sixty kilometres per hour. The restriction, applied to the military‑grade StarShield service, disrupted several drone missions amid rising tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said SpaceX introduced the limit without warning, while volunteer Serhiy Sternenko suggested the change may have come at the request of the former Trump administration. The move raises concerns that access to critical American satellite communications could become another lever over Kyiv, alongside potential US intelligence‑sharing suspensions.
No evidence confirms a White House order, leaving the reason for the restrictions unclear. The incident follows a sharp deterioration in US‑Ukraine relations after Elon Musk criticised Zelenskyy on X, and after Trump’s agreement with Moscow to ease Russian diesel export restrictions. Ukrainian officials maintain that intelligence cooperation continues, but
Timeline
- 2019 — SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites into orbit
- 2026 — Starlink eliminated service to unwhitelisted Ukrainian terminals
- 2026 — Ukraine reported Starlink speed limits affecting military drone missions
Sources
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