Ukraine says satellite speed limits disrupt drones; Musk points to U.S. control
In short
Ukrainian officials said unannounced speed limits on military satellite terminals disrupted drone missions and air defence operations. Elon Musk said the military network, Starshield, is controlled by the U.S. government, while the cause of the restrictions remained unclear.
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Ukrainian officials said sudden restrictions on satellite communications disrupted military drone missions overnight, including air-defence operations. Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said SpaceX had imposed speed limits on military terminals without warning. Elon Musk disputed responsibility for the limits, saying Starshield, the military version of the service, is owned and controlled by the U.S. government. [ 4 , 6 , 12 ]
Beskrestnov said the restriction affected terminals moving above 100 miles per hour, or roughly 161 kilometres per hour. Ukrainian defence ministry sources told Business Insider that some units lost connections when drones reached speeds as low as 45 miles per hour. They said the disruption complicated mid-range strikes, front-line logistics and air-defence intercepts. [ 4 ]
Business Insider reported that the Ukrainian defence ministry later said the 161-kilometre-per-hour limit remained in force, although restrictions had been significantly tighter earlier in the day. Communication quality had improved at speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour. Ukraine said it was in contact with the U.S., SpaceX and NATO partners and was working to install backup channels. [ 4 ]
Musk said speed or usage limits were decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president, NBC News reported. A spokesperson for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the outlet that the restrictions remained in place late Wednesday. NBC News said the reason for the interruptions was not immediately clear and quoted a Ukrainian official saying the government had yet to receive a response from SpaceX. [ 12 ]
The restrictions coincided with Ukrainian concerns over missing advance warnings before Russian ballistic missile attacks. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had not received the usual warnings from Western partners but did not specify which partners, PBS NewsHour reported. Trump said the U.S. had not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. The reports do not resolve the uncertainty over those warnings. [ 20 ]
Why it matters
Ukrainian defence sources said the disruption affected mid-range strikes, front-line logistics and air-defence intercepts. Ukraine said it was contacting partners and installing backup communication channels.
Key facts
- Ukrainian officials reported sudden restrictions on military satellite terminals overnight. [ 4 , 6 , 12 ]
- Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said terminals were restricted above 100 miles per hour, roughly 161 kilometres per hour. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Defence sources told Business Insider that some units lost connections at drone speeds as low as 45 miles per hour. [ 4 ]
- Musk said Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, which decides speed and usage limits. [ 12 ]
- Ukraine said it was contacting the U.S., SpaceX and NATO partners and working on backup communications. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The reason for the restrictions and who ordered them remain unclear. Ukrainian officials blamed SpaceX; Musk said limits were decided by the U.S. military, and NBC News reported that the cause was not immediately clear.
- The status of advance intelligence warnings is disputed. Ukrainian officials reported missing warnings before Russian missile attacks, while Trump said U.S. intelligence sharing continued.