Ukraine says the U.S.-linked Starshield military satellite system has again been restricted when equipment carrying its terminals moves faster than 161 kilometers per hour, or about 100 mph.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the disruptions have complicated efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered attack drones, although the cause of the renewed restriction has not been established, Vesti Baku reported.
The restrictions have reportedly been in effect for several days across the front line and in territories occupied by Russia. Zelenskyy described the problem after receiving reports from Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara and Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. Reuters also reported a renewed reduction in the system’s permitted operating speed.
Interceptor Drones Affected
The restriction does not concern data-transfer speed. Instead, terminals lose stable connectivity when the vehicles or drones carrying them move faster than the stated limit.
For high-speed interceptor drones, that reduces their ability to engage jet-powered strike aircraft.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces examined the failures and believe they reflect a systematic restriction rather than an isolated technical malfunction. He said some Russian strikes penetrated Ukrainian defenses because interceptors could not accelerate to the speed required in time.
Those operational consequences have so far been confirmed only by the Ukrainian side.
Kyiv is discussing the situation with the United States and is seeking to establish all the circumstances surrounding the restriction. Washington and SpaceX had not publicly explained the reason for the new limit at the time of publication.
System Was Restored Less Than Three Weeks Earlier
A similar speed limit was recorded in mid-October. On Oct. 24, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry formally announced that Starlink and Starshield service had been restored, saying connectivity remained stable while equipment traveled at speeds above 400 km/h.
The latest disruption marks a new stage in the dispute because the limit returned after Ukraine said service had been restored.
Responsibility for both the October measures and the renewed restrictions remains contested. U.S. authorities previously denied that the White House had issued such an order, while Elon Musk said the parameters of the Starshield military system were determined by the U.S. government.
Starshield is the military version of SpaceX’s satellite network. Ukraine uses it for secure communications, drone control, front-line logistics and data transmission.
The renewed limit again raises questions about the reliability of access to communications infrastructure on which battlefield operations depend.