Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Starlink restrictions continue to hinder the use of interception drones, even though there were recent reports about the service being restored. Terminals disconnect when they exceed a speed of 161 km/h, while in the European Union, the system operates at higher speeds. Ukrainians discovered this through tests they conducted.
„Today, our interception drones are not working because there is a speed limit. The maximum speed is currently 161 km/h. Once exceeded, Starlink stops and we lose the drone,” Zelensky said on Saturday in a discussion with journalists, as reported by The Kyiv Post.
Specifically, if a Ukrainian drone equipped with Starlink flies at over 161 km/h, the connection is interrupted, and the military can no longer control it. And this limit prevents it from reaching the necessary speed to intercept the Russian Shahed reaction drones, which fly at speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour.
To verify whether the disconnections are caused by general technical issues or geographical restrictions, Ukraine sent vehicles equipped with Starlink terminals to EU countries. According to Zelensky, the connection worked there even at speeds exceeding 180 km/h.
The restriction persists despite announcements of service restoration. On October 15, sources from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense told The Kyiv Post that terminals in motion were operational again. However, the publication noted that the sources did not clarify if there are still speed limits.
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A day later, Zelensky explained that the functioning of Starshield, SpaceX's military service, had improved but had not completely returned to normal.
On Saturday, Zelensky practically confirmed that the 161 km/h limit is still active and affecting the missions of interception drones. Zelensky also stated that military representatives, the Ministry of Defense, and diplomats are trying to lift the restrictions.
"We are trying to contact everyone, at the military level, at the Ministry of Defense level, and through diplomatic channels, including SpaceX. At this moment, no one is responding to our army or the Ministry of Defense," he said, as quoted by Politico.
Beyond anti-aircraft defense, Zelensky emphasized that the system is essential for supplying the military. Unmanned platforms guided through satellite connections transport food and water to isolated positions where conventional vehicles cannot reach.
The responsibility for the restrictions remains unclear. Donald Trump denied on Friday that he had ordered the service limitation and said he does not believe Elon Musk is responsible, according to Reuters.
On the other hand, The Telegraph, citing four sources familiar with the situation, reported that Musk directly proposed to Trump to restrict the services, and the American president approved the initiative. According to the report, as relayed by The Kyiv Post, this approval allowed the Pentagon to limit Starshield's capabilities.
The issues have intensified pressure on the European Union to offer Ukraine an alternative to Starlink. According to Politico, negotiations regarding Ukraine's access to the European secure communications program Govsatcom are stalled, and the European IRIS² network is expected to become operational only in 2030.
However, Zelensky claims that Europeans are already working on solutions: "Europeans are now raising the issue of alternatives themselves. And they are already working on them. They are already making progress and will succeed in this field. I can already see this."
The Starlink limitation comes in a context marked by a series of decisions by Donald Trump in favor of Russia and Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration relaxed sanctions on Russian diesel exports and on October 16, suspended the implementation of new sanctions against Moscow before they took effect. Washington is also considering lifting sanctions on some vessels of the "phantom fleet" to allow them to transport unrestricted oil and reduce maritime transportation costs.
Simultaneously, Trump has increased his criticisms of Zelensky, stating that Ukraine should have a different president. His administration has threatened to stop sharing information and block the mechanism for acquiring American weapons for Kiev to force Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian refineries.