Zelensky Says Systematic Starshield Restrictions Are Endangering Ukrainians
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces have experienced significant and systematic restrictions on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite communications service for several days. The disruptions reportedly affect the entire front line as well as Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, where Starshield supports military communications. Zelensky said the problems were deliberate speed restrictions rather than random technical failures.
Starshield is the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. Ukraine first reported access problems last month after a dispute involving Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over a US-Russia diesel deal. Trump and Elon Musk denied responsibility for those outages, while Musk later accused Ukraine of using Starlink for military purposes. The parties subsequently said full access had been restored.
According to Zelensky, the latest restrictions prevent Starshield systems from functioning when moving faster than 100 miles per hour, or 161 kilometres per hour. He said this creates serious difficulties for Ukrainian forces trying to intercept Russian jet-powered drones, which travel faster than the imposed limit. Zelensky also warned that slower or disrupted communications were helping Russian forces conduct more accurate strikes and kill more Ukrainians. Ukraine is seeking to establish the circumstances with the American side as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow amid efforts to end the nearly five-year war.
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