Ukrainian officials said speed limits were imposed on military-grade Starlink terminals without warning, disrupting military missions and forcing the cancellation of some drone operations.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on defense technology, said the restrictions apply to Starshield, SpaceX’s military service, and limit terminals moving at speeds above 100 mph. Starshield satellites feature enhanced encryption and advanced security features, and are owned and controlled by the U.S. Department of War.
“Our defense forces received no warning,” Beskrestnov wrote, adding that the restrictions had disrupted several missions.
Ukraine told SpaceX that the speed restriction “was not in place for our terminals previously, and its introduction has created significant operational challenges for Ukrainian users,” according to a person familiar with the matter.
Beskrestnov warned that the restrictions could undermine Ukraine’s air defenses, particularly interceptor units used to counter Russian Shahed drones.
“In effect, through their actions, our partners are depriving us of one of the few options available to defend the country against jet-powered Shaheds,” Beskrestnov said.
He also said that the restriction was connected to current political tensions, as Zelensky and President Donald Trump, a close ally of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, have sparred over an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
“Clearly, this action is no coincidence and is linked to the current political situation,” Beskrestnov wrote.
Neither SpaceX nor Musk has publicly confirmed the reported restrictions. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
The reported move has drawn criticism from European officials.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called out Musk in a social media post, asking whether he was “playing politics with your products again” and warning that European customers were watching.
The dispute comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to trade attacks despite Trump’s announcement of an energy ceasefire. Trump said Sunday on Truth Social that the two countries had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, offering few details while warning both sides not to violate the agreement.
Zelensky said Moscow has disregarded the proposed ceasefire, saying Ukraine would continue retaliatory strikes unless Russia formally agreed to stop attacking its energy infrastructure.
Russian attacks continued Wednesday, with Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn saying Kyiv had received no advance warning from allies for a second consecutive day. Ukraine’s air force also said it received no alerts before the first series of overnight ballistic missile strikes.
Zelensky said Russia launched 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones and loitering munitions against energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
He described the strikes as a deliberate attack on infrastructure covered by Trump’s proposed ceasefire and urged Washington to increase pressure on Moscow.
Zelensky called on Trump to impose stronger sanctions on Russia and provide Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems, arguing that greater military and economic pressure was necessary to bring the war to an end.
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“Peace can come only through strength,” Zelensky said.
In September 2022, Musk ordered SpaceX engineers to shut down Starlink satellite coverage in parts of Ukraine during a counteroffensive over fears that Ukraine’s offensive could spark Russian nuclear retaliation. The shutdown caused communication blackouts and disrupted Ukrainian military operations for hours.