Ukrainian units report renewed speed restrictions on Starshield satellite terminals, capping connectivity at 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) and blocking drone interceptions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed these disruptions on Thursday, November 12. He said the limits have affected operations across the front line and in occupied territories for several days.
Zelenskyy said units recorded these restrictions following briefings from Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. “For us, this primarily means a significant complication in intercepting Russian jet-powered drones,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. These disruptions caused strikes that otherwise would have been intercepted.
Received briefings from Minister of Defense of Ukraine Yevhenii Khmara and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi. Unfortunately, our units have been recording significant disruptions to Starshield’s operations over the territory of Ukraine for…
Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink, allows for lower latency in remote combat zones. This is the second time in recent weeks that Ukrainian forces have faced these limits.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence previously reported it restored connectivity at speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour. During that incident, President Donald Trump said he asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to restore access. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the corporation was responsible for that disruption.
Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated… https://t.co/ZXBB8bYfPn
Kushner also pushed to “get Europeans added to the format so we can make this a multilateral format.” The envoys will fly to Dublin to meet with Zelenskyy after their meeting with Putin.
The current contract expires in mid-2027. Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s Deputy Ambassador to Washington, said Kyiv is pushing for negotiations. Kyiv is seeking to determine the reasons for the restrictions from the United States.
Responsibility for the limits remains a point of contention. Musk accused the Ukrainian military of violating SpaceX’s terms. He said Starshield belongs to the US government, which controls the system.
“The reality is that we did not receive an answer from the Pentagon or SpaceX on actually what has happened and what was the reason and so on,” Denys Sienik, Ukraine's Deputy Ambassador to Washington, told reporters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied the administration is responsible for the restrictions. Kyiv is working with American counterparts to clarify the latest disruptions. Reliability of this satellite infrastructure is central to the nation’s air defense, which has been active for more than four-and-a-half years.
Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian military has been recording significant disruptions in the operation of Starshield over the territory of Ukraine for several days. According to him, systemic speed limits for Starshield are in effect at 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per… pic.twitter.com/JbcOHpEBey
