Starlink Restrictions Disrupt Ukrainian Drone Operations, Officials Say

By Staff, Agencies

SpaceX has disrupted Ukrainian drone operations by reportedly imposing new speed restrictions on military access to its Starlink satellite network, according to Ukrainian officials and frontline commanders. The reported disruption comes as US President Donald Trump increases pressure on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and hold a long-delayed presidential election.

Sergey Beskrestnov, a technology adviser to Zelensky, said Wednesday that SpaceX had introduced a speed limit of 100 miles per hour, or 160 kilometers per hour, on Starshield, its military-grade satellite communications service, without notifying Kiev in advance.

“Our defense forces were not notified of this restriction, and it has resulted in the disruption of several missions,” Beskrestnov wrote, suggesting that the move was connected to the “current political situation.”

He later said the restrictions affected not only long-range strike missions but also Ukraine’s interceptor drones, reducing their effectiveness against Russian attack unmanned aerial vehicles.

The problems were corroborated by four Ukrainian frontline sources cited by Ukrainskaya Pravda. One commander reportedly provided footage showing two drones losing connectivity above cloud cover and failing to complete their mission.

Ukraine’s 7th Air Assault Corps also confirmed serious operational difficulties, saying satellite connections were dropping for 10 to 20 seconds at speeds of just 110–120 kilometers per hour, below the reported limit.

The corps warned that slower drones were more vulnerable to Russian air defenses and that aircraft used for medium-range strikes against Russian logistics could become difficult or impossible to operate effectively.

Ukrainian activist and former Defense Ministry adviser Sergey Sternenko suggested that SpaceX had acted at the request of the Trump administration.

Neither Washington nor Elon Musk had publicly commented on the reports at the time of publication.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also criticized Musk on X, asking whether he was “playing politics with your products again.”

Poland spends approximately $50 million annually on Starlink services supporting Ukraine. Sikorski had previously threatened to reconsider the payments after SpaceX introduced roaming restrictions affecting Polish customers, although that decision was later reversed.