SpaceX Throttles Starlink for Ukraine’s Drones, and Kyiv Suspects It Was Deliberate
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A speed limit from space, and drones go down at the front: SpaceX has restricted Starlink connections for Ukraine’s military without warning. The restrictions affect Starshield terminals, the military version of Starlink, which are mounted on drones and vehicles. According to Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, they now work reliably only at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (about 100 miles per hour), Reuters reported. Several missions had to be called off.
What Is Happening at the Front
The Starshield terminals are central to Ukraine’s war effort: They are used to steer drones in real time, for example in strikes on Russian supply lines or to intercept Russian jet-powered attack drones. According to one Ukrainian military unit, connections dropped out for 10 to 20 seconds at speeds of just 110 to 120 kilometers per hour. The drones kept flying but became very hard to control. The activist Serhii Sternenko, citing military sources, even reported outages at 60 to 70 kilometers per hour.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the connection stabilized over the course of the day, but the 160-kilometer-per-hour cap remains in place. The ministry says it is negotiating with SpaceX to prevent such sudden restrictions in the future.
‘This Cannot Be a Coincidence’
Officials in Kyiv do not believe it was a technical problem. The move “cannot be a coincidence,” Mr. Beskrestnov told The Kyiv Independent, pointing to the political situation. President Trump had previously declared an “energy cease-fire” and pressed Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian oil refineries. He reportedly threatened to withhold intelligence. There is no evidence of a link to the Starlink throttling, however, and the White House has not commented.
Sharp criticism also came from Poland. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asked Elon Musk on X whether he was playing politics with his products again. Poland funds Ukraine’s use of Starlink with about $50 million (roughly €45 million) a year, according to earlier statements by Mr. Sikorski.
The Counterpoint: Musk Points to the U.S. Military
Mr. Musk has rejected responsibility. Restrictions on the speed or use of Starshield terminals are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president, he said. Starlink may also be used only for civilian or defensive purposes, not for offensive military operations, according to Mr. Musk. SpaceX has not yet given an official explanation.
Europe’s Dependence on Musk
The incident shows once again how dependent Ukraine, and with it Europe, is on the infrastructure of a single American entrepreneur. There are hardly any real alternatives so far. Eutelsat operates its own satellite network in low Earth orbit with OneWeb, but it has far fewer satellites in space. The E.U.’s planned IRIS² satellite network is not expected to be operational until the end of the decade. That is why Ukraine is also working on its own solutions: The Ukrainian defense tech company Stetman is developing UASAT-NANO, an independent satellite communications system. Meanwhile, European space start-ups such as Isar Aerospace are building their own launch vehicles so that satellites can reach orbit without relying on SpaceX.
