Speed Limit on Starlink Hurting Ukraine Defenses

“KYIV -- As six Ukrainian drones buzzed toward a Russian army warehouse on Monday, the pilots found their connections disrupted.

 

Any time they flew faster than 100 miles an hour, the video feed cut out -- the result of new limits put in place last week for Ukrainian drones using Starshield, a military version of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite-internet service. Musk imposed the limits, The Wall Street Journal reported.

 

Four drones made it to the vicinity of the target. One hit the warehouse. The unit's commander said he didn't know what happened to the other drones because the pilots lost contact with them.

 

For the past week, drones have had to fly more slowly, the commander said -- and as a result, the Russians are shooting them down more often.

 

The disruption to Ukraine's use of Starshield is having a significant impact on Kyiv's military, said Ukrainian military units and military analysts.

 

Ukraine has grown dependent on access to Starshield.

 

Unlike normal Starlink connections, there were no speed restrictions with Starshield -- until last week. The system is crucial for midrange drone strikes, which have been targeting the Russian army's logistics this year.

 

That defense is at risk if the restrictions on Starshield persist, warn Ukrainian officers and military analysts.

 

Starshield also is used for air-defense interceptor drones that shoot down Russia's jet-powered Geran drones. Without unfettered use of Starshield, air-defense officers say they will struggle to protect against attacks.

 

Some drones using Starshield are losing connection at speeds as slow as 80 mph, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.

 

Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, said last week that Starshield access is controlled by the U.S. government. SpaceX hasn't so far responded to requests for comment on the Journal's reporting that Musk ordered the slowdown. U.S. officials have denied that the White House ordered the restrictions.

 

"We are still waiting for the official response from contacts with the Pentagon and SpaceX at the leaders level to understand what has happened," Ukraine's top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, said Tuesday.

 

This has shown the urgency of Europe doing more to develop its own space capabilities, a European Union spokesman said.

 

As Kyiv and Washington continue tense discussions, Ukrainian forces are trying to fight without flying their drones at top speed.

 

For much of this year, access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite network gave Ukraine a big advantage. At the start of February, SpaceX allowed only Starlink accounts on an approved "white list" to access the service in Ukraine, effectively ending Russian forces' unauthorized use of Starlink.

 

Ukraine's military communications rely heavily on the commercial version of Starlink. On a drone or vehicle, the connection cuts out at about 50 mph.

 

Until last week, Starshield offered a fast, reliable connection for drones in Ukraine, including on missions that took them deep into Russian territory. Starlink doesn't work inside Russia, so Ukraine's military has used other navigation methods for its long-range drone raids there.

 

On the night of Oct. 13, without warning, that connection started to drop.

 

The commander of a Ukrainian drone-interceptor unit, who goes by the call sign Sokol, said the biggest challenge his team faces is jet-powered long-range Geran drones, which can reach speeds up to 370 mph. That speed has turned them into one of the foremost threats for Ukrainians because they are much harder to shoot down than previous, propeller-powered Russian drones.

 

Sokol said his interceptor drones can fly at about 250 mph. Despite the disadvantage, they can take out some of the Gerans. But the task becomes much more difficult if an interceptor drone can only fly at 90 mph, he said. "It's a serious limitation."

 

"What concerns me most is how dependent we are on a technology that we don't control," he said.” [1]

 

You don’t control this big world yet. You control the diesel prices in the world though. Trump is taking care of this.

 

1. World News: Speed Limit on Starlink Hurting Ukraine Defenses. Lovett, Ian; Sivorka, Ievgeniia; Nikolaienko, Nikita.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 22 Oct 2026: A8.