Ukraine is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift a speed cap on its military satellite communication service
An Associated Press report earlier said a speed cap imposed without warning early on Thursday restricted data connections when terminals moved faster than 160 kph, affecting drones equipped with Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s satellite service. Because of speed restrictions imposed on Starlink, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, ukraine is unable to use its interceptor systems effectively against Russian drone attacks.
Zelenskyy told news agency Reuters in a WhatsApp media chat that Ukrainian officials had been informed that the restrictions were linked to technical issues. He said Ukraine had tested Starlink on European Union territory and encountered no similar problems, with the system operating at higher speeds. He added that Kyiv was in contact with US officials to resolve the issue. The disruption comes as Ukraine increasingly relies on satellite communications to operate interceptor drones designed to counter Russian aerial attacks.
In a statement on X, Zelenskyy said more than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities had been targeted across several regions, on Saturday.
Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence technology adviser to Zelenskiy, told the AP that Ukraine was negotiating with SpaceX, the Pentagon and the US government to have the restriction lifted or switch to an alternative service package. “But we now understand that this is not only a technical issue and not only a business issue, but also a political one,” Beskrestnov said. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the US government owns and controls Starshield, with decisions on its use resting with the American military and, ultimately, US president Donald Trump.
The Starlink issue has emerged amid renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. On Friday, Trump said that he had not ordered the restrictions and did not believe Musk was responsible.