Starshield Throttling: Zelensky Calls It a ‘Planned Operation’
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At SpaceX’s site in Texas, a sports car takes off, while in Ukraine interceptor drones stay grounded: In the same week that Elon Musk had the new Tesla Roadster hover on SpaceX cold-gas thrusters, Ukraine’s military has been struggling with throttled satellite connections from Mr. Musk’s space company. President Volodymyr Zelensky now calls it “a planned operation,” Axios reports. The restrictions, he says, apply only in Ukraine and not in the European Union.
The Test at the Border
It all started overnight into last Wednesday. Without warning, Starshield terminals, the military version of Starlink, became only partly usable for fast-moving vehicles and drones, as we reported earlier. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said the next day that connectivity on the move was working again. According to Mr. Zelensky, however, the problem has not been solved.
To prove it, Ukraine drove cars fitted with Starlink terminals through E.U. countries on Friday. There, the connection held even at 180 kilometers per hour (about 112 miles per hour). Once the vehicles were back in Ukraine, it dropped out at 161 kilometers per hour (100 m.p.h.). “The conclusion is that the restrictions apply inside Ukraine but do not apply in European Union countries,” Mr. Zelensky said. Before the throttling, according to Ukrainian officials, the network worked on drones flying at up to 400 kilometers per hour (about 250 m.p.h.).
Severe Consequences for Air Defense
The consequences are serious. Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones fly faster than the new limit. “We can’t use Starlink or Starshield technology on our territory today to shoot down jet-powered Shaheds,” Mr. Zelensky said, according to CBS News. When the connection drops, Ukraine loses control of its interceptor drones. Kyiv says long-range strikes on Russia, reconnaissance and drone resupply of front-line troops are affected as well. Mr. Zelensky called the situation “very painful and frustrating,” saying it leaves people exposed to Russian drones.
The throttling comes during a period of heavy Russian attacks. On Saturday, Russia struck more than 15 critical energy facilities in Ukraine, according to Mr. Zelensky. He also said Kyiv did not receive the usual advance warning from Western partners before ballistic missile attacks on the capital on two consecutive nights. President Trump has said the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
Mr. Musk Points to Washington
Who is behind the throttling is disputed. SpaceX told Ukrainian officials it was a technical problem, and according to Mr. Zelensky, the company has stopped responding to the Defense Ministry’s inquiries. Mr. Musk himself denies responsibility. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government,” he wrote on X. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” He also posted: “Time for Zelensky to go.”
Mr. Trump denies any involvement. “It wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon,” he said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said nobody in the U.S. government had ordered a slowdown and that the system was back up and running. He added that he was “not sure Zelensky knows what he is talking about.” The Telegraph, by contrast, reported that Mr. Musk had proposed the throttling to Mr. Trump. The White House called that “totally false.”
Rockets and Roadsters From the Same House
The timing casts a spotlight on Mr. Musk’s web of companies. The Roadster show took place at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor and opened with a test firing of a Raptor engine. The thrusters that let the sports car hover come from SpaceX, and rumors of a merger between Tesla and SpaceX are circulating. The same company runs Starlink, the network Ukraine’s army depends on. Real European alternatives are scarce so far: Eutelsat OneWeb has far fewer satellites in orbit, and the E.U.’s IRIS² network is not expected to be operational until the end of the decade.
Diplomatic talks continue. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, spoke with Mr. Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner about Starlink on Friday. Teams from both countries are set to meet next week to discuss the Trump administration’s latest proposal to end the war.
