The Ukrainian government has asked the Pentagon and SpaceX for clarification on new technical limitations in the Starshield satellite network, but has yet to receive a response. The system reportedly automatically shuts down when drones exceed 100 mph (161 km/h), disrupting missions to intercept Russian jet drones.
The Ukrainian government has asked the Pentagon and SpaceX for clarification on new technical limitations in the Starshield satellite network, but has yet to receive a response. The system reportedly automatically shuts down when drones exceed 100 mph (161 km/h), disrupting missions to intercept Russian jet drones.
This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Starshield communication is interrupted as soon as the drone’s speed exceeds 161 km/h (about 100 mph). One of the Ukrainian officials clarified in a comment to Axios that the problem has been observed for three days and has a cumulative effect: on the first day, the restrictions affected 10% of operations, on the second — 50%, and on the third day, 100% of missions ended in failure.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the military is recording system failures along the entire front line and in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia. According to the president, these are not technical errors, but targeted restrictions.
"There are still no clear explanations. I instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine to more actively contact the State Department, the Pentagon, and SpaceX to obtain clarifications and correct the situation," the head of state noted.
SpaceX itself denies interfering with the network. In a comment to Axios, the company representatives said: “This is not true. No changes have been made.” There has been no official comment from the Pentagon on the new restrictions.
The Starshield system is a protected military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, designed specifically for government and defense needs. The Ukrainian military uses it to control reconnaissance UAVs and interceptor drones. This is the second time that Ukraine has publicly claimed interference with the system.
It was previously reported that new restrictions on the operation of SpaceX’s Starshield satellite communications could be a tool of political pressure on Kyiv from Washington during peace talks.
