Starlink restrictions affecting Ukraine's front line operations, Kyiv says
British Broadcasting Corporation
Home
News
46 minutes ago
Share
Save
Add as preferred on Google
By Jaroslav Lukiv and Dan Johnson, Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv
Watch: What we know about Russia's overnight strikes on Ukraine
New restrictions on the speed at which some of Ukraine's weapons can travel and still connect to the Starlink internet network have disrupted Ukraine's battlefield "missions", President Volodymyr Zelensky's adviser has warned.
Serhiy Beskrestnov said Ukraine had not been told about speed limits set overnight at 100mph (160km/h) by Elon Musk's SpaceX company.
Starlink, a vital tool allowing Kyiv to effectively guide drones to Russian targets and also protect Ukrainian skies, is believed to be the target of these restrictions.
Beskrestnov said SpaceX's move "cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation." The firm has not commented.
In a Wednesday post on Telegram, Beskrestnov said SpaceX had "implemented overnight a speed limit on Starlink terminals" and this had already resulted in "the disruption of a number of missions".
This comes as at least 600,000 people across Ukraine were left without electricity after deadly overnight Russian missile and drone strikes, Zelensky said.
He noted that "critical" energy infrastructure had been hit in Kyiv and the capital region, and in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv – despite US President Donald Trump's claim on Sunday that an "energy ceasefire" was in place between Russia and Ukraine.
Three people were killed in Kyiv, local officials said. Russia claimed its "massive" strikes had hit communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine's military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
In a follow-up post, Zelensky's adviser emphasised that Starlink was the most effective tool for enabling interceptors to shoot down Russia's newly developed jet-propelled drones.
A source in the Ukrainian defence ministry later told the BBC:
"Last night, we detected restrictions affecting Starlink connectivity at speeds above 160 km/h." "The root cause" of the issue was being investigated.
Defence ministry sources explained:
"Once a vehicle or asset exceeds this [160km/h] threshold speed, the terminal loses its connection."
This makes it more difficult to carry out drone operations, "specifically interceptors and middle-strike drones", and also degrades "capabilities for front line logistics, reconnaissance, and signal relaying".
In February, Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to Starlink blunted Moscow's advance in