Zelenskyy Reports Systematic Speed Restrictions on SpaceX Starshield

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian military is facing renewed systematic speed restrictions on the SpaceX Starshield satellite service. For several days, connectivity has been lost for interception systems and drones traveling faster than 100 miles per hour, a limitation that disrupts midrange drone campaigns against Russian logistics and weakens defenses against jet-powered drones.

Zelenskyy stated that these disruptions occur across the entire front line and in occupied territories, claiming that some Russian strikes have already succeeded because of these limits. He described the issues as systematic speed restrictions rather than random errors, noting that the disruptions are helping Russian forces carry out more accurate strikes.

Similar restrictions occurred in October during tensions between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. While the Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk ordered those previous restrictions, both Musk and Trump have denied responsibility for the outages. The current disruptions coincide with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visiting Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin following trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine is currently seeking clarification from the United States regarding the cause of the renewed speed limits.