Ukraine’s military reported that the communications system, produced by Elon Musk’s SpaceX but managed by the US government, was no longer working on terminals moving at speeds greater than 100mph.
That effectively rendered most of the drones used by Ukraine to strike behind the frontlines inoperable and affected the country’s best air defence system to stop Russian jet-powered attack drones bombing Kyiv.
Ukraine Accuses US of Starlink Throttling
Ukraine’s president has said he feels “betrayed” by Donald Trump over a throttling of Starlink access.
Ukrainian officials accused SpaceX on Wednesday of throttling a technology essential to their battlefield communications and drone operations.
The 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Ukrainian air assault forces said it began “noticing Starlink connectivity problems caused by data transfer speed limits” overnight.
Our defence forces received no warning of such a restriction, and this led to the failure of a number of missions.
It is obvious that this action cannot be a coincidence and is connected to the current political situation.
Military Units Report Operational Failures
Ukrainian units are already reporting issues with performance even at lower UAV speeds.
Starshield is lifesaving. The technology helps us save the lives of civilians and prevent more destructions in Ukraine caused by Russian side.
US Government Control of Starshield Cited as Cause
Musk put the responsibility for the restrictions on President Donald Trump’s shoulders on social media, saying the military version of Starlink, called Starshield, is owned and controlled by the U.S. government.
“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk said.
A spokesperson for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NBC News that the limitations remained in place late Wednesday.
Ukraine Faces Intelligence Gaps Amid Starlink Restrictions
Ukrainian officials and their European partners were already scrambling to understand the status of U.S. intelligence-sharing after the lack of alert ahead of two Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv this week.
Trump insisted the U.S. was still sharing intelligence, but with relations spiraling, Ukrainian officials and military units accused SpaceX on Wednesday of throttling a technology essential to their battlefield communications and drone operations.
The Ukrainian government has yet to receive a response from SpaceX, a Ukrainian official told NBC News, and Ukrainian units are already reporting issues with performance even at lower UAV speeds.
Impact on Drone Operations and Air Defense Systems
The throttling of Starlink has directly impaired Ukraine’s ability to control drones used for precision strikes behind Russian lines, as terminals lose connectivity when moving above 100mph. This has rendered many reconnaissance and attack drones inoperable during critical phases of flight, undermining real-time targeting and situational awareness.
Ukraine’s best air defense system, designed to intercept Russian jet-powered attack drones targeting Kyiv, has also been degraded due to the loss of reliable Starlink-linked command and control. Without stable data links, coordination between radar systems and interceptor launch units has become inconsistent, reducing response effectiveness.
Military units report that even at lower UAV speeds, intermittent connectivity disrupts drone navigation and video feeds, forcing mission cancellations or reliance on less effective backup systems. The 7th Rapid Reaction Corps noted that while drones remain airborne, control interruptions make them harder to steer accurately, increasing the risk of collateral damage or missed targets.
Zelenskyy Accuses US of Betrayal Over Starlink Throttling
Ukraine’s president has said he feels “betrayed” by Donald Trump over a throttling of Starlink access. Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the US president of picking the other side after more than four years of war, risking a breakdown in US-Ukraine relations.
Zelenskyy’s accusation came as Ukrainian military units reported that Starlink terminals failed when moving above 100mph, disrupting drone strikes and air defense operations. The lack of prior warning from U.S. authorities intensified perceptions of deliberate interference amid escalating diplomatic tensions.
Sources
- US ‘betrayal’ over Starlink undermines Ukrainian defense | First Thing
- Ukraine says new Starlink restrictions disrupt military as it reels from intel gaps and Trump clash
- Ukraine War, Day 1,695: White House Ordered Restriction of Starlink to Kyiv – EA WorldView
Photo: http://www.president.gov.ua/ (CC BY 4.0)
